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Interesting reporting coming from both the Financial Times and Washington Post today.

Financial Times

Two people familiar with the conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy said the US president had asked his Ukrainian counterpart whether he could hit military targets deep inside Russia if he provided weapons capable of doing so.

“Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? . . . Can you hit St Petersburg too?” Trump asked on the call, according to the people.

They said Zelenskyy replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.”

Trump signalled his backing for the idea, describing the strategy as intended to “make them [Russians] feel the pain” and force the Kremlin to the negotiating table, according to the two people briefed on the call.

During a meeting with US defence officials and intermediaries from Nato governments, Zelenskyy received a list of long-range strike systems that potentially could be made available to Ukraine via third-party transfers.

The arrangement would allow Trump to sidestep the need for Congressional approval on direct US military aid by authorising weapons sales to European allies, who would then pass the systems on to Kyiv.

The Ukrainians had asked for Tomahawk missiles, precision strike cruise missiles with a range of around 1,600km. But the Trump administration — like the Biden administration — had concerns about Ukraine’s lack of restraint, said a person familiar with the list shared with Zelenskyy.

Washington Post

What Trump didn’t talk about is that the military assistance might also include authorization for some powerful new offensive weapons. I’m told by a source involved in the decision that this is likely to include permission to use the 18 long-range ATACMS missiles now in Ukraine at their full range of 300 kilometers (about 190 miles). That wouldn’t reach all the way to Moscow or St. Petersburg, but it would strike military bases, airfields and supply depots deep inside Russia that are now out of range. The package might also include more ATACMS.

Trump also considered sending Tomahawk cruise missiles, the same weapons fired against Iranian targets last month. If fired from Ukraine, these could hit Moscow and St. Petersburg, and they were included in discussion as late as Friday. But the Tomahawks are off the delivery list for now, I’m told. They could be deployed later if Trump wants even more leverage.

Trump’s determination to squeeze Putin was conveyed in a conversation last week with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a source told me. Trump asked Zelensky why he didn’t hit Moscow. “We can if you give us the weapons,” Zelensky said. Trump said Ukraine needed to put more pressure on Putin, not just Moscow but St. Petersburg, too.

Trump decided to escalate for three reasons, according to a source familiar with administration discussions. First, he believed that Putin was disrespecting him, feigning a readiness to make peace but ignoring the U.S. president’s call for a ceasefire. Second, he saw the efficacy of U.S. military power in the use of B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles against Iran. And third, he thought Putin would only negotiate if threatened with greater force. As the Russians like to say, Trump decided to “escalate to de-escalate.”

So TLAMs (Tomahawk Land Attack cruise Missiles) are up for consideration for Ukraine, but currently not being sent. More ATACMS are likely on the way, to supplement the current 18 ATACMS missiles Ukraine has. No mention of JASSM or JASSM-ER air launched stealth subsonic cruise missiles or PrSM ballistic missiles, or SM-6 in a surface to surface role. JASSM is interesting because the US could send the shorter range older variants for now, as a test run of sort, and there are many of these in the stockpiles likely set to expire soon.

The point about Trump getting to see the effectiveness of US military power in Israeli and US airstrikes on Iran is something very much overlooked. Part of the Trump right wing is full of useful idiots and grifters that don't understand basic science, think that the weather is controlled by the CIA, that F-35s don't work, don't understand stealth technology, vastly understate US military capabilities as the US military was "destroyed by woke", etc. Laura Loomer, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson, Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth to an extent, etc. Those kind of grifters. They got shut down and shut out in real time, and now Marco Rubio and US Military Generals are in with Trump, given the events of the past few weeks, they essentially proved themselves to Trump. One could say that Rubio is effectively president here. This is very concerning, an emboldened Rubio, Trump, and US Military may choose to throw their weight around on other issues and in other theatres.