US President Donald Trump has dismissed claims that he encouraged Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to launch missile attacks on Russian cities, stating clearly on Tuesday that “he shouldn’t target Moscow.”

The clarification came after a Financial Times report suggested that Trump had privately asked Zelensky whether Ukraine could strike Moscow and St. Petersburg if provided with long-range weapons. According to the report, Zelensky allegedly confirmed that such attacks would be possible.

When asked by reporters to comment on the claim, Trump refuted the idea, saying that he does not support targeting Russia’s capital.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back strongly against the FT article, accusing the outlet of deliberately misrepresenting the president’s remarks. “They are known for taking words out of context for attention because their publication is collapsing,” she said.

Leavitt emphasized that Trump had only posed a hypothetical question and was not advocating violence. “The president is working relentlessly to bring an end to the bloodshed and push for a peaceful resolution,” she added.

The controversy follows Trump’s recent warning that unless a peace agreement is reached within 50 days, the US would impose steep secondary tariffs on Russia’s trading partners. He also announced upcoming weapons deliveries to Ukraine, to be funded and coordinated by European NATO countries.

Since taking office in January, Trump has claimed his administration is focused on ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He has reportedly had multiple phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at moving closer to negotiations.

Moscow, for its part, has reiterated its openness to peace talks, although a firm schedule for renewed discussions has yet to be confirmed. So far this year, two rounds of direct talks have taken place in Istanbul, leading only to agreements on prisoner exchanges, with no major diplomatic breakthroughs.