Trump V Putin: Russian nightmare as USA allows Ukraine to use deadly long-range missiles

Donald Trump has agreed to lift major restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western long-range missiles. The decision is likely to cause consternation in the Kremlin and comes following the cancellation of a proposed peace summit between Vladimir Putin and the US President in Hungary.

Kyiv's military will now be able to target key energy infrastructure, as well as military and industrial sites deep inside Russia. US officials said Ukraine is likely to intensify its use of Storm Shadow missiles, which can travel over more than 180 miles.

The British-supplied rocket hit an explosives and rocket-fuel plant in the Russian city of Bryansk on Tuesday, causing major damage.

The policy change was made secretly in Washington, and means that the Pentagon's General Alexus Grynkewich will be the sole official with the power to approve such strikes.

The senior officer is the top US commander in Europe who also serves as NATO's military chief. As the weapon uses US targeting data, Washington still retains a certain amount of control over how it is deployed.

Confirming the decision, a White House official told the Wall Street Journal: "This is a war that never would have happened had President Trump been President, something President Putin himself acknowledged, and President Trump is trying to get it stopped.

"The President also negotiated a historic agreement to allow NATO allies to purchase American-made weapons."

However, in a post to his Truth Social website in the last few minutes, Donald Trump dismised the Wall Street Journal report as "fake news".

"The Wall Street Journal story on the U.S.A.'s approval of Ukraine being allowed to use long range missiles deep into Russia is FAKE NEWS!" he wrote. "The U.S. has nothing to do with those missiles, wherever they may come from, or what Ukraine does with them!"

President Trump did confirm on Tuesday that he would not attend a planned conference with Putin in Budapest. He told reporters that he didn't want to have a "wasted meting", after Russia's Foreign Secretary Sergey Lavrov rejected any immediate ceasefire.

Ukraine had sought permission to purchase US long-range Tomahwks, but had their request turned down by the White House last week.

Following a heated meeting at the White House on Friday, President Zelensky left empty handed.

The Trump administration is also set to turn up the economic heat on Russia in a further move to try and force Putin to the negotiating table.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday the White House is getting ready to announce increased sanctions on Russia .

"We are going to announce either after the close this afternoon or first thing tomorrow morning a substantial pickup in Russia sanctions," he told reporters