U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday, vowing it would not accept the "blackmail" of Washington's new sanctions ultimatum.

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 skies over Moscow and St. Petersburg were filled with drones coming from Ukraine, days after President Trump told reporters Ukraine should not target Moscow

U.S. President Donald Trump has privately encouraged Ukraine to step up strikes deep in Russian territory, even asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy whether he could hit Moscow if the U.S. provided long-range weapons,

President Trump told reporters that Ukraine should not target Moscow following a report that he advised Ukraine to ramp up its attacks.

As President Donald Trump hardens his position toward Moscow and seeks new ways to bring its war in Ukraine to an end, he says he isn’t looking to deliver Kyiv longer-range missiles that could strike targets deeper into Russia.