Vladimir Putin called Donald Trump over phone amid America's plan to send game-changing missiles to Ukraine as military support. The Kremlin leader's
Vladimir Putin called Donald Trump over phone amid America’s plan to send game-changing missiles to Ukraine as military support.
The Kremlin leader’s premier foreign policy aide told the Wall Street Journal, is the latest revelation of Trump’s whiplash approach to ending the nearly four-year-old war.
Tomahawk missiles would have given Ukraine something it still largely lacks: the ability to strike deep into Russia’s military infrastructure, beyond the frontlines.
With a possible range of about 1,000 miles and high-precision guidance, they could hit airbases, ammunition depots, command centers and energy facilities that keep Russia’s war machine running – targets Ukraine can’t reliably reach with its current arsenal.
A leaked call, revealed how Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, maneuvered to expedite Putin’s access to Trump before a critical White House meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky.
‘Zelensky is coming to the White House on Friday,’ Witkoff told Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign-policy aide, in the recorded conversation. ‘I think if possible, we have the call with your boss before that Friday meeting.’
Two days before meeting Zelensky, Trump spoke with Putin. On that call, Putin warned that sending Tomahawks would harm US-Russia relations. Trump reversed course on the missiles.
‘Putin has greater influence because of many deals going way back… Witkoff has been dealing with the Russians for decades. As the transcript shows, he even advises the Kremlin how to engage with POTUS,’ a former diplomat deeply involved with European affairs explained.
A second diplomat still at the State Department said it’s ‘obvious what side the administration is leaning towards at this point’, though it ‘seems to change every day.’
It is believed that the talks helped shape an initial 28-point peace proposal heavily favoring Russian interests, later reduced to 19 points.
