IANS Washington

US President Donald Trump said Ukraine should not target Moscow, following a report stating he had encouraged Kyiv to escalate deep strikes into Russian territory, according to media reports. “No, he shouldn’t target Moscow,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House when asked if he thinks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens­kyy should target Moscow.

This follows a report that the US president had asked his Ukrainian counterpart if he could hit Moscow and St Petersburg if supplied with weapons with enough range. Whether the US would send long-range missiles to Ukraine, Trump replied, “No, we’re not looking to do that.” “President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

If he was on Ukraine’s side, Trump said he was on nobody’s side, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier on Tuesday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his gratitude to Trump for his willingness to support Ukraine and contribute to efforts aimed at ending the war with Russia. Following what Zelenskyy described as a “very good conversation,” he welcomed Trump’s interest in achieving a “lasting and just peace” amid the ongoing conflict.

“I spoke with President Trump. It was a very good conversation. Thank you for the willingness to support Uk-raine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace. Trump shared details about his meeting with the NATO secretary general. It’s important we have such a good relationship, and the Alliance countries are working to increase defence spending,” Zelenskyy said on X.