Media: Trump Privately Advised Zelensky To Take A Harder Line Against Russia

• 23.06.2026, 15:03

Immediately after the meeting between the presidents, Ukraine ramped up its strikes in a massive wave.

The publication Kyiv Independent reports that Ukraine has managed to secure the support of the White House and Trump personally for a tougher campaign to put pressure on Russia. According to the publication, Donald Trump privately advised Volodymyr Zelenskyy to act “more boldly” in order to force Moscow to engage in constructive negotiations.

A high-ranking Ukrainian official stated that Trump “doesn’t really believe that Putin will do anything without pressure.”

U.S. officials did not explicitly confirm whether Trump supports Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, but one of them told the Kyiv Independent that the U.S. president believes in “peace achieved through strength.”

For Kyiv, this was a signal that pressure on Russia could be ramped up if Moscow continues to stall.

Immediately after the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, Ukraine dramatically escalated its strikes against Russia including both drone strikes (on Moscow) and missile strikes (on Voronezh). “Zelenskyy suggested to Trump that he invite Putin to America, and that would be ideal,” said a high-ranking Ukrainian official. “Donald liked the idea.”

According to the Kyiv Independent, the Kremlin continues to avoid a direct summit between Zelenskyy and Putin.