Michael Hernandez
15 July 2025•Update: 15 July 2025
WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should not carry out attacks on Moscow after a report suggested that he asked the Ukrainian leader if he could strike the Russian capital.
"No, he shouldn't target Moscow," Trump said, denying that he will send long-range missiles to Ukraine.
Trump further reiterated his threat to impose secondary sanctions and tariffs on Russia if Moscow does not consent to a ceasefire in Ukraine within his self-determined deadline.
"At the end of 50 days, if we don't have a deal, that's gonna be too bad. The tariffs are going to go on. And other sanctions go on," he told reporters at the White House.
"We're going to see what happens with President Putin. So far, I've been very disappointed with President Putin. I've solved a lot of wars in the last three months, but I haven't gotten this one yet. This is a Biden war. It's not a Trump war. I'm here to try and get us out of that mess," he added.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov earlier Tuesday rejected Trump's 50-day timeline to reach a ceasefire, saying "that any attempts to issue demands, especially ultimatums, are unacceptable to us."
He urged intensified political and diplomatic efforts, reiterating President Vladimir Putin’s stance that Russia is prepared for talks and favors a diplomatic resolution.
Ryabkov warned, however, that without progress in negotiations, Moscow "will continue pursuing its objectives through the special military operation" if its willingness to engage diplomatically goes unanswered.
"This position is unshakable. We would like Washington and NATO in general to treat it with the utmost seriousness," he stressed.
