Zelensky reveals plan to strike Moscow as Trump and NATO supply key weaponry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky intends to strike the heart of Russia - but he needs Washington's help.

That was the message in a Fourth of July phone call with Donald Trump - 11 days before the White House indicated a plan to work more closely with NATO after failing to reach a peace deal with Vladimir Putin.

According to the Telegraph, Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart that he wanted Ukraine to “make them [Russians] feel the pain" and force them to the negotiation table.

“Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow?... Can you hit St Petersburg too?” Trump reportedly asked on the call.The Ukrainian president replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.

• Kristi Noem's face before plastic surgery but she still denies procedures
• Chilling map pinpoints 10 safest nations to flee to in event of nuclear WW3

It was reported that, following Zelensky's call with Trump, Kyiv received a list from US aides with various long-range strike systems that would be made available through third-party transfers. Despite Trump's newfound willingness to drag Russia back to the negotiation table, the president is still hesitant to give Zelensky any Tomahawk missiles, which would obliterate any target 994 miles away.

Trump's sudden willingness to help Ukraine comes after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House on Monday. The two discussed how the U.S. would best help the country.

DON'T MISS:

• WW3 on horizon after Trump orders Australia and Japan to get ready for war with
• Matt Gaetz's dramatic facial transformation sparks speculation from fans
• Russia warns of nuclear Armageddon after Trump's latest Ukraine move

During the meeting, however, Trump seemed testy when a reporter asked him how far he was willing to go should Russia not cooperate. "If Putin escalates further, how far are you willing to go in response?" the reporter asked. The question seems to take a minute to sink in before Trump asks, "In what?"

"How far are you willing to go if Putin sends more bombs in the coming days?" the reporter asks, seemingly touching a nerve of the president. "Don't ask me a question like that," snapped Trump.

The president's frustrated response comes as he has expressed increasing anger with Putin's prolonging of the war and inability to reach a peace deal in a major U-turn on his approach to the conflict. Doubling-down on his recent criticism's of Putin, Trump said during the Monday conference: "[I] talk to him a lot... about getting this done. My conversations with him are always very pleasant. Very lovely conversation. And then the missiles go off that night."

The president also confirmed during the Monday conference that he struck a deal to manufacture and send weapons to NATO, which will be given to Kyiv, after revealing the week prior that an agreement had been reached. "We made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons and they're gonna be paying for them," Trump said.

"The United States will not be having any payment made. We're not buying it but we will manufacture it and they will be paying for it," Trump added. Asked to clarify why he gave a 50-day deadline, Trump told reporters: "I think it's a very short period of time. I have been involved in this not very long. This is a Biden war, a Democrat war, not a Republican or Trump war."

The conference was held after Trump met with Rutte on Monday morning, as tensions escalate in Ukraine, with four killed earlier in the day in Ukraine's Sumy region by Russian airstrikes, and hope for a ceasefire dwindles to the increasing ire of Trump.