U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that his administration will send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine, despite recent reports from the Pentagon signaling a pause in certain arms deliveries.
“We will send more weapons. We need to,” Trump told reporters at the White House, emphasizing Ukraine’s right to defend itself amid escalating Russian attacks.
“They need to be able to defend themselves. They are getting hit very hard right now,” he said, adding that the assistance would primarily consist of defensive systems.
Trump’s remarks directly contradict the Pentagon’s announcement last week, which cited dwindling U.S. reserves as the reason for temporarily halting shipments of air defense missiles and other systems.
Ukraine has long called for increased military support, especially Patriot missile systems, which President Volodymyr Zelensky has described as critical for protecting cities from near-nightly Russian airstrikes.
Following a phone call with Trump on July 4, Zelensky stated that the two had agreed to work together on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and discussed joint defense production, procurement, and investment.
Although Trump previously acknowledged Ukraine’s need for Patriot systems, he did not mention them explicitly during his most recent remarks on July 7.
The shift in tone comes as Ukraine continues to fend off Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. Russian strikes overnight reportedly killed at least 11 civilians and injured over 80, including seven children, according to Ukrainian officials.
Trump reiterated his desire to end the conflict and voiced growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’m not at all happy with President Putin,” Trump said, noting that he is considering new sanctions on Russia’s oil industry to push Moscow toward peace negotiations.
