‘Call the Ayatollah': Trump ally gives BRUTAL hint at what would happen to Putin if he ignores 50-day peace deadline
Russia has been stepping up its
summer
offensive campaign as Washington-mediated
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A Russian drone attack hit Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine
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Kharkiv suffered a massive drone attack
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Russia launched a large-scale strike on Vinnytsia
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Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine
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Explosions rocked Ukrainian cities overnight after
And amidst the deadly chaos, Republican senator Graham made a chilling warning to mad Vlad that
He said on X: "If Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah.
"If I were a country buying cheap Russian
oil
, propping up Putin's war machine, I would take President Trump at his word."
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The clearest sign yet that
He said had struck a deal with Nato to supply key American air defence systems and weapons to Ukraine.
Trump vowed to send weapons compromising of "everything" in his
arsenal
in order to
The US President also threatened Russia with
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Exclusive
Prior to the announcement, Senator Graham told Axios the US President was
Don has since shared that the first Patriot systems intended for Ukraine "are already being shipped" to allies.
Upon being asked which countries the missiles are coming from, Trump said they were arriving from Germany.
He added that he hadn't spoken to Putin in two days, where he confirmed his intention to send weapons to help Ukraine - including the deadly Patriot systems.
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Trump with his press secretary Karoline Leavitt
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Ukrainian firefighters try to extinguish the fires following the Russian attack on Shostka community killing two people
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A view of the damage following the Russian attack on Shostka
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Russia's President Vladimir Putin applauds during an event last week
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Another of the proposed weapons which could be included in the package deal is America's joint air-to-surface standoff cruise missiles (JASSM).
On Tuesday, however, he ruled out sending long-range missiles to Ukraine despite reports claiming the US would give Kyiv weapons that could
Upon being asked whether the US would deliver deep-strike munitions to the war-torn nation, he clarified: "No, we're not looking to do that."
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He also warned Ukraine against attacking the Russian capital, adding: "I'm on nobody's side. You know whose side I'm on? Humanity's side."
The President has spent the first seven months of his White House return urging both sides to come to the negotiating table.
But a snarling Putin has always declined and instead ramped up his ground and aerial offensives across Ukraine.
And the
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They are said to have mocked the warning, with sources revealing they may now demand even more Ukrainian territory instead of laying down arms.
Russia will instead keep terrorising Ukrainian civilians during the seven-week period instead of surrendering in any form, they added.
A bombshell report claimed that Trump asked Zelensky if he can
'Really p****d' Trump gives Putin 50-day ultimatum as he unveils major plan
The US President asked: "Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St Petersburg too?", according to the
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Zelensky responded: "Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons."
But Trump soon pushed back on the reports of him enquiring about Ukraine's next targets.
He told reporters that he has actually warned Zelensky to not even think about attacking Moscow if he ever wants the conflict to end.
Trump did not directly mention the FT report but the White House did.
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Press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued Trump's words were taken out of context as the President "was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing".
She continued, in a statement to the
: "He's working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war."
It comes after the US President shared with the broadcaster he was
Asked if he trusted Putin, Trump said after a long pause: 'I trust almost nobody to be honest with you.'
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Overnight, Ukraine's Air Force made numerous alerts that Russian drones were targeting Kyiv alongside other regions - with a warning even issued of the threat of ballistic missile
strikes
.
Eight people were wounded in strikes on Ukraine's central region of Vinnytsia, as large-scale fires erupted after civilian industrial facilities were hit.
Three people were also wounded in an attack on Ukraine's second city, Kharkiv.
And a 17-year-old boy has been left fighting for his life after missile and drone strikes destroyed an industrial building in south-central Kryvyi Rig - the birthplace of brave leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Oleksandr Vilkul, the mayor of the city, wrote on Telegram: "This has never happened before.
"A ballistic missile and 28 Shaheds simultaneously."
Meanwhile three people were tragically killed in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, local authorities say.
What have experts said of Trump's sending long-range weapons to Ukraine?
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
DONALD Trump sending long-range weapons to Ukraine could be a game-changer for the war by helping halt Vladimir Putin's nightly blitzes, experts said.
Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a decorated
Mr de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: "These weapons can strike Moscow - over 400 miles from the border. That allows the Ukrainians to strike drone factory production and ammunition sites, and others.
"So this will have both psychological as well as physical effects.
"People in Moscow will realise that they potentially could be targeted.
"And when you also add to it the American bombings on Iranian sites that were supposed to be impregnable, it shows that American missile and drone technology rather superior to the Russian air defence system."
The former army chief said these weapons will put real pressure on Russia, adding: "The metric has now changed and Trump's decision could make a huge difference."
Ex-military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram told The Sun how these long-range weapons could help strike Russian missile and drone launchpads - the ones that are used to launch nightly attacks on Ukraine.
He said: "The Ukrainians are already attacking to hit Russian military logistics, defence industry bases.
"And with these sophisticated weapons, they will have increased capability of doing so.
"It will impact the ability of the Russians to prosecute these increasingly large drone and rocket attacks on a nightly basis.
"And then that's the best way for the Ukrainians to stop it."
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