‘Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow?’: Trump asked Zelensky about deep strikes inside Russia to ‘make them feel pain’ — Here’s how Zelensky responded

US President Donald Trump reportedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whether Ukraine could strike deep into Russian territory, including Moscow, if given the weapons to do so, according to a report by the FinancialTimes.

What did Trump say during the July 4 call?

During a phone call on 4 July, Trump asked, “Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St Petersburg too?” Zelensky is said to have replied, “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.” Sources told the Financial Times that Trump appeared to back the idea, saying it was part of a plan to “make them [Russians] feel the pain” and pressure President Vladimir Putin into negotiations. The call took place just one day after Trump had a “bad” phone call with Putin.

US quietly shares list of long-range weapons with Ukraine

Following the conversation, US officials gave Zelensky a list of possible long-range strike weapons that could be supplied via third-party transfers, allowing NATO countries to deliver the systems on behalf of the US, bypassing a congressional freeze on direct aid. The Ukrainians requested Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of 1,600km. However, both the Trump and Biden administrations have shied away from providing Kyiv with long-range weapons, fearing escalation if Ukraine uses them on Russian soil. One of the systems discussed was the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which Ukraine has already used to strike targets in Russian-occupied areas. However, ATACMS has a maximum range of about 300km, not enough to reach Moscow.

Trump publicly criticises Putin’s lack of action on peace

At a recent Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday (July 14), Trump said he was “very unhappy” with the Russian president. “I’m disappointed in President Putin because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago,” Trump said. The US leader also confirmed a new plan to send Patriot air defence systems and interceptors to Ukraine. He did not mention other long-range weapons during the public appearance.

Watch | Russia-Ukraine war: Trump threatens 'severe tariffs' on Russia allies

Russia 'doesn't care'

Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev dismissed Trump’s comments as a “theatrical ultimatum”. Writing on X, Medvedev claimed, “Russia didn’t care.” Putin previously warned of a serious escalation if Ukraine used Western long-range weapons to strike within Russia. After Kyiv first used ATACMS on Russian territory last year, Putin called it a step towards a “global” war and responded by test-firing a new missile over Ukraine.

Following those attacks, Russia also revised its nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons. The new policy suggests Russia could target NATO nuclear powers, including the US, UK, and France, if Ukraine continues to strike Russian soil using Western-supplied missiles.