Trump wanted to "make them feel the pain," as he put it on the July 4 call, the Financial Times reported, and force Russia into peace negotiations. Zelensky said Ukraine could hit the cities if the U.S. supplied the weapons, per the Post.

The White House played down reports of a private call.

President Donald Trump, fresh off reaching a new agreement with NATO to arm Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion, cautioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky against launching direct military strikes against the Russian capital.