FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend a meeting at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump has privately encouraged Ukraine to step up strikes deep in Russian territory, even asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy whether he could hit Moscow if the U.S. provided long-range weapons, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.
The newspaper, citing two people familiar with the conversation, said Trump spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart in a call on July 4, a day after speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump also discussed sending Ukraine U.S.-made ATACMS missiles, the FT reported, citing the same sources.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reuters could not verify the report.
Trump at the time said he had been disappointed by the call with Putin because it does not appear the Russian leader was looking to stop Russia's war against Ukraine.
(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
