WP: Trump proposes to pressure Putin with strikes on Moscow and St Petersburg

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters

US President Donald Trump, during a recent conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressed surprise at why Ukraine has not yet struck a blow against Moscow.

This was reported by The Washington Post journalist David Ignatius, citing sources. Zelenskyy replied that this is possible only if the appropriate weapons are provided.

According to the journalist, Trump urged Kyiv to put more pressure on the Kremlin, in particular, considering the possibility of attacks not only on Moscow but also on St. Petersburg. The options for support include not only the Patriot system, but also the potential supply of cruise missiles «Tomahawk», which are capable of hitting deep targets in Russia. Although the missiles are not on the official list of deliveries at this stage, sources say they may be added later as a lever of pressure on Moscow.

Trump, according to the journalist, decided to take a tougher stance for three reasons:

• he believes that Putin does not respect him and only pretends to be ready for peace;
• he is convinced of the effectiveness of forceful methods, as was the case with the US strikes on Iran;
• he is sure that the Russian president will agree to negotiations only under the threat of force.

The journalist described Trump's position as «escalation for the sake of de-escalation». At the same time, the US administration itself does not give a clear answer as to how far it is prepared to go in the event of further escalation by the Kremlin. Trump himself responded to this question in an evasive manner: «I just want the war to end».

Earlier, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump said that Vladimir Putin would not be able to deceive him, as he said he had done with previous US leaders. He recalled his previous conversations with the Kremlin leader: at first, they seemed constructive, but shortly afterwards, Russia again shelled Ukrainian cities.

Trump also announced his intention to provide Ukraine with Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, stressing that these systems are critically needed to protect against Russian attacks.