Ukraine developing missiles as Trump hints it could 'play offense'

(NewsNation) — As President Donald Trump hinted at a potential Ukrainian offensive, Ukraine unveiled a domestically produced cruise missile that could reach deep into Russia.

In a social media post Thursday, Trump promised "interesting times ahead" as he raised the prospect of Ukraine not only defending against Moscow, but attacking it.

"It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning!" Trump wrote.

Trump blamed the Biden administration for holding back Ukraine, though former President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use long-range U.S. missiles on Russian attack sites in late 2024 — a move Trump called "stupid" at the time.

Trump's comments came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine's latest weapons innovation: Flamingo cruise missiles with a range of nearly 2,000 miles.

The weapons could be in mass production by early next year, Zelenskyy said.

Earlier this week, Trump signaled the United States is prepared to support Ukraine in the air but ruled out a boots-on-the-ground approach.

Russian attacks continue, with no peace deal in sight

A week after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s summit with Trump in Alaska, daily attacks have continued with no clear sign of a diplomatic breakthrough.

Russian missiles hit a “major American electronics manufacturer” located in western Ukraine on Thursday, according to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. More than a dozen people were injured.

Moscow fired 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles in the strike, the Ukrainian Air Force said, making it one of Russia's largest aerial attacks of the year

Zelenskyy has accused Russia of not being serious about reaching peace.

"The signals coming from Russia are simply outrageous. They are trying to wiggle their way out of holding a meeting," he said. "They don't want to end this war. They continue their massive attacks on Ukraine and their ferocious assaults along the front line."

Trump administration officials are hopeful Putin and Zelenskyy will sit down face-to-face within the next two weeks, but the leaders have given no indication a meeting is planned.

NewsNation's Anna Kutz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.