“Zelensky should not hit Moscow”: Donald Trump indirectly deny the Financial Times and also the rumors of other media according to which he would be ready to provide long -haul weapons in Kiev, starting from Tomahawk missiles. “For now I’m not evaluating them,” he cut short in front of the reporters in the White House, before flying to Pennsylvania to announce a maxi investment in the AI.
And when asked if he is on the side of Ukraine or Russia, he replied: “With none, I’m on the side of humanity and I want to finish this bloodbath”. Meanwhile, the EU denounces the growing use of chemical weapons by the Russians in Ukraine: “These attacks are intensifying”, has accused the high representative for foreign policy, Kaja Kallas. “It is surprising – he added – but since the beginning of the invasion there have been over 9 thousand cases of attacks with prohibited chemical weapons. The intelligence services of Holland and Germany say so, and the fact that they are increasing is worrying, Moscow wants Kiev to surrender ».
The 27, however, remain divided on the new sanctions to Russia. Bratislava has again blocked the severe package of measures that should also include the Price Cap on the price of Russian oil and gas. “But I am confident that we will reach a decision,” Kallas confided, which has opened a new controversy with the White House, hoping that the US also “share the burden” of the cost of weapons sent to Kiev (the first tranche is about 10 billion dollars. To arouse questions on the position of Trump towards Putin was the Financial Times, according to which the US President would have privately encouraged Volodymyr. Zelensky to bomb the Russian territory deeper, even asking him if he was able to hit Moscow or St. Petersburg if the US had provided him for a long range weapons.
“Absolutely, we can do it if you give us weapons,” the Ukrainian leader would have replied, according to two people aware of the conversation. The Tycoon would therefore report its support for the idea, indicating how the objective of the strategy was “to make the pain felt to the Russians” and force the Kremlin to the negotiating table. The interview would take place on July 4, in the aftermath of the “ugly” phone call with Vladimir Putin, who increased Trump’s frustration by pushing him to the turning point announced on Monday in the oval study together with NATO secretary Mark Rutte: Patriot and other US weapons in Kiev paid by the European Championships, as well as 100% secondary duties if you do not reach an agreement within 50 days.
Before the Tycoon responded to the reporters, only a partial denial to the FT had arrived from the White House: “The president’s statements were taken out of the context, he was simply asking a question, not encouraging further deaths,” the Karoline Leavitt spokesman assured. Moreover, the Tycoon, while reiterating that he is “disappointed” by Putin, specified in an interview with the BBC that he has not yet “closed with him”. He is partly confirmed by the time lax granted (50 days) and the threat of 100% secondary duties, against the 500% foreseen in a bipartisan bill now frozen.
The Kremlin, careful not to break with Trump, makes Melina, explaining that he “needs time to analyze what has been said” by the US President and that Moscow remains ready “to continue dialogue” with Kiev. Putin is silent for now, while all the other reactions are hard or sarcastic. For the deputy foreign minister Serghei Ryabkov is “unacceptable” any ultimatum, while the deputy secretary of the Russian National Security Council Dmitri Medvedev called him a “theatrical ultimatum”. The head of Russian diplomacy, Serghiei Lavrov, instead denounces the “enormous pressure” of the EU and NATO on Trump and is certain that Moscow’s commercial partners will not arrest in front of American sanctions.