Trump urges Ukraine to go on offensive - Here's how Zelenskyy responds
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
American President Donald Trump advised Ukraine to go on the offensive during a conversation with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The Washington Post reports.
In his July 4 phone call with Zelenskyy, Trump said Ukraine would not be able to change the course of the war by staying on the defensive and needed to go on the offensive, according to a Ukrainian official.
When Trump asked whether Ukraine could bomb Moscow or St. Petersburg, the official said Zelenskyy replied that Kyiv currently doesn't have the necessary weapons.
"If we have the right weapons, we can," the Ukrainian President noted.
According to the media outlet, after President Zelenskyy finished the phone call with Trump, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak said, "that was the best call with him we ever had."
During the call, Zelenskyy and the US President discussed, among other things, the supply of air defense systems and Russia's overnight attacks on Kyiv.
One can also notice that after this conversation, Trump significantly shifted his rhetoric regarding the war in Ukraine, and especially concerning Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Furthermore, the United States and NATO recently agreed on a new initiative. According to the plan, American weapons will be supplied to Ukraine using funds from European countries.
Trump also issued an ultimatum to Putin. According to him, if there is no progress in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine within 50 days, the US may impose new secondary tariffs.
Military expert Mykhailo Samus, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine, explained how this could now affect Putin, and whether it will have an impact on Ukrainians.
Read more about the changes in Trump's attitude towards Putin and Russia and whether his threats will help stop the war in Ukraine in our material on the topic.
