By Euronews with AP
Published on
President Donald Trump said that the United States will have to send more weapons to Ukraine. The decision comes just days after pausing key arms deliveries to Kyiv.
His comments marked a sudden change of course. Last week, the Pentagon announced it would delay shipments of air defence missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons, citing concerns about falling stockpiles.
However, on Monday, Trump said, “We have to,” adding, “They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now. We’re going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily.”
The pause came at a difficult time for Ukraine. Russian forces have been stepping up air strikes, launching more frequent and complex attacks. On Monday, officials said Russian strikes had killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others, including seven children.
Trump’s Monday decision follows a Friday phone call held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy which the Kyiv leader defined as a “very important and fruitful conversation”.
In a post on social media platform X, Zelenskyy said, “We spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies.”
Speaking during a dinner on Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Trump shared his growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I’m not happy with President Putin at all,” Trump said.
Last Thursday, Trump held a call with the Russian President, which he said he was “very disappointed with (…), because I don’t think he’s there, and I’m very disappointed,” adding, “I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”
The Pentagon has not immediately responded to a request for comment on Monday on whether the paused weapons shipments to Ukraine would resume.
