Trump Says Ukraine Must Strike Russia to Win War as Russian Missile Hits U.S.-Owned Factory

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump said Thursday that Ukraine would have to continue attacking targets inside Russia if it hoped to win the war, even as Moscow unleashed a massive new bombardment on Ukrainian cities, including a strike that destroyed an American-owned electronics plant.

“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader’s country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia.”

Trump also blamed former President Joe Biden for Russia’s 2022 invasion, accusing him of not allowing Ukraine to strike Russian soil with U.S. weapons. The Biden administration had eventually permitted limited strikes inside Russia but only after months of hesitation over escalation risks.

In his post, Trump shared two images: one of himself pointing at Russian President Vladimir Putin, superimposed over a historic photo of President Richard Nixon poking Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in the chest.

Shift in Trump’s Position

As president-elect, Trump sharply criticized Biden for authorizing strikes inside Russia, calling it “stupid” and “a big mistake.” In a December interview with Time magazine, he said:

“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We’re just escalating this war and making it worse.”

Now, his latest comments suggest a willingness to apply greater military pressure on Moscow, even while pursuing a negotiated settlement. Trump met with Putin in Alaska last week and then with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, saying both leaders had agreed to direct peace talks. But in recent days, senior Russian officials have backed away, insisting that lower-level agreements must come first.

Russian Strike on U.S. Factory

Hours after Trump’s post, Russia carried out one of its largest airstrikes in months, targeting cities across Ukraine with drones and missiles. Among the sites hit was a Flex Ltd. electronics plant in Mukachevo, western Ukraine, where some 800 workers were on the night shift.

The factory was struck by two Kalibr cruise missiles around 4:30 a.m., igniting a massive fire, Ukrainian officials said. At least 15 people were injured.

“This was an ordinary civilian facility with American investment,” Zelensky said, condemning the attack. “They produced everyday household items, such as coffee machines.”

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha noted that the plant had “no connection to defense or the military,” calling it a blatant strike on civilian industry.

Flex Ltd., a Singaporean-American multinational with headquarters in Austin, Texas, and Singapore, opened the Mukachevo facility 13 years ago. The 600,000-square-foot plant employs over 2,600 people, producing molded plastics, electrical components, coffee machines, printer cartridges, and electronic price tags.

Pressure on Moscow

Trump has threatened new sanctions against Russia and its trading partners, including higher tariffs on India, one of Moscow’s top oil buyers. Those measures are set to take effect next week.

Despite Trump’s attempts at diplomacy, Russia has shown no sign of relenting. Its latest wave of attacks underscores both the fragility of peace efforts and the pressure on Ukraine to maintain offensive operations as Trump insists.

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