Ukraine now believes it has secured White House backing for a campaign aimed at forcing Russia into meaningful negotiations, The Kyiv Independent reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump privately told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to act "more boldly," a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent.
The message comes as Kyiv intensifies efforts to secure a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin — an idea Trump has endorsed but one the Kremlin continues to avoid.
"Trump says he doesn't really believe (Vladimir) Putin will do anything without pressure," the official, briefed on the recent Trump-Zelenskyy meeting, added.
While U.S. officials stopped short of confirming whether Trump explicitly supports Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, they said the president views strength as key.
"President (Trump) believes in peace through strength," one U.S. official said.
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