Portnikov: Putin Decided To Scare Him

• 20.07.2025, 20:59

A signal has been sent to the Kremlin.

Ukrainian political analyst Vitaly Portnikov believes that rumors about Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's conversation with White House Chief of Staff Donald Trump mentioning strikes on Moscow are true.

"Of course, we have the right to hit military facilities on Russian territory with American missiles, but Trump has denied that he would give us these missiles. The fact that he discussed with Zelensky the possibility of strikes on Moscow - this has not been refuted by anyone, it is confirmed. The White House said that there was such a conversation, just a phrase taken out of the context of the conversation, that is, Trump asked Zelensky about strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg. He didn't call for strikes. He simply asked if Ukraine could carry out such strikes. Zelensky replied that this would require weapons of a different caliber, but they talked it over," Portnikov said.

"I, by the way, think the fact that this information appeared in the media and then was denied by the White House is an important signal. It's such a political game. This is how Trump signals to Putin that if you don't work to end the war, our position may change: "Here I am talking to Zelensky about strikes on Moscow, but I won't give long-range missiles, but maybe later I will. I may not give them today, but tomorrow I may give them, so you'd better make some kind of compromise." That's the kind of signal. Will Putin hear this signal? No, he will not," Vitaly Portnikov explained.