Moscow mocks Trump, Trump says Moscow off limits, 2,000 Guard troops go home in California, Waltz deflects on Signalgate in Senate hearing.

The president’s call for Ukraine to avoid hitting Moscow continued his pattern of swinging between pressure on both sides to end the war and underscored the uncertainties about his strategy.

The White House confirmed that Trump and Zelenskyy discussed whether Ukraine would be able to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg with U.S.-supplied weapons.

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.

In a significant shift toward Ukraine, Trump announces a plan to send advanced weaponry including Patriot systems, and threatens 100% tariffs if Russia can’t reach a peace deal soon.

A new book alleges that President Donald Trump told donors he threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with bombing Moscow if Russia invaded Ukraine.

Russian media have been reacting to Trump's growing criticism of Putin, the most recent being on Tuesday when he accused the Russian leader of peddling "bulls***" over his intentions in Ukraine, after rejecting U.S. ceasefire proposals.