Trump Warns Ukraine Against Striking Russia

President Donald Trump has warned Ukraine against launching any attacks on the Russian capital of Moscow.

When asked by reporters at the White House on Tuesday about whether Kyiv should target Moscow, Trump stated that Ukraine should refrain from doing so. He also added that Washington was  “not looking” at supplying Ukraine with longer-range missile systems.

Trump’s comments come amid a certain change in Trump’s rhetoric on the Ukrainian conflict, with the president announcing plans to send more military aid to Ukraine after months of decrying the aid to Kiev as damaging the U.S. budget unnecessary. Trump also said that Russia’s trade partners could face tariffs if no peace deal on Ukraine is reached within 50 days.

Trump, who returned to the White House in January, had previously accused Zelensky of hampering peace efforts, stressing that his administration might roll back support.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin said it was taking Trump’s latest remarks “very seriously.”

“We certainly need time to analyse what was said in Washington,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow. “And if and when President Putin deems it necessary, he will definitely comment.”

With input from Al Jazeera