Switch the White House newsletter on free of charge
Your guide to what Trump’s second term for Washington, business and world means
Donald Trump said that the United States will send more weapons to Ukraine, less than a week after Washington had stopped the deliveries of a critical weapon for Kyiv abrupt.
The President’s comments signaled a departure from the Pentagon’s attitude that the US stock of certain weapons may have reduced too much to maintain the river into Ukraine.
“We will send more weapons. We have to be able to defend themselves,” said Trump, adding that the weapons would primarily be defensive. “You are now hit very hard.”
Trump’s comments came in the middle Warming ties With the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and when he repeated that he was “not happy” with the Russian President Vladimir Putin because he had not found an end to war.
The Pentagon said that the United States would “send additional defense weapons to Ukraine to ensure that the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we are working to secure permanent peace and ensure the killing”.
The break in deliveries took place after a “ability check”, “to ensure that the US military aid corresponds to our defense priorities,” said the Ministry of Defense last week.
On Monday, the Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said: “Our framework for potus to evaluate military programs around the world remains in force and is an essential part of our first defense priorities.”
Many of the weapons concerned are crucial for the air skills and defense of Ukraine, including the PAC-3 interceptors for the patriot systems, dozens of Stinger Man-Portable Air Defense Systems, and Aim rockets that were launched by the Ukrainian Nasams and F-16 fighter aircraft.
Panzer defense systems such as the AT4 grenade launcher were also affected, while some of the 250 guided start rocket system rounds, which were used for correct strikes at large distances.
The support for arms deliveries came at a critical period in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow escalating its air campaign in the past few weeks. Russia started his The biggest drone and rocket attack In Ukraine on Friday, only two days after the United States had stopped sending the weapons on which Kyiv relies on the front.
Moscow’s troops have also been on the eastern battlefields at their fastest pace since November and threatened several important Ukrainian strongholds.
Trump and Zelenskyy discussed the air defense needs of Ukraine in A Call on Friday.
Zelenskyy said he and Trump discussed the situation of war after the Russian attack, “including Russian air strikes and the broader developments on the front”.
Before the Pentagon stopped deliveries, Trump said that Washington had made Ukraine more Patriot missiles available. Zelenskyy said he was ready to buy Patriot Air Defense Batteries, Abceptors and other weapons from the USA.
