Overview

• In a July 13 call, President Trump asked President Zelensky whether Ukraine could strike Moscow and St. Petersburg with long-range weapons, according to the Financial Times.
• He declared his support for deep strikes on Russian territory to “make the Russians feel the pain” and thereby push Moscow toward negotiations.
• Trump issued a 50-day deadline for President Putin to return to the negotiating table or face escalated pressure on Russia.
• Simultaneously, he announced the dispatch of Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine, financed by European partners to bolster Kyiv’s defenses.
• Zelensky publicly thanked Trump for protecting Ukrainian lives, while Russia has yet to respond and UN officials and European media weigh hopes for renewed diplomacy against risks of wider escalation.