"We Will Send Them Patriots": Trump U-Turn Over Arm Deliveries To Ukraine
President Donald Trump on Sunday said Washington would send Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv and hinted at new sanctions on Russia, once again voicing displeasure with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over Moscow's war in Ukraine.
The US president's announcement of the much-needed weapons for Ukraine came after he earlier said he would make a "major statement... on Russia" on Monday.
The announcement could come amid a diplomatic flurry set for Monday, with the US special envoy starting his latest trip to Ukraine and Trump set to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington.
Moscow's offensive on Ukraine has lasted for more than three years, with attacks intensifying this summer and US-led negotiations so far yielding no results to end the fighting.
"We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need," Trump said Sunday, without specifying how many weapons he would send to Ukraine.
"I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection," he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, as he returned from watching the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.
The White House has U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, instead announcing a new deal which would involve NATO paying the United States for some of the weapons it sends to Ukraine.
"We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they're going to pay us 100 percent for them," Trump said.
"It'll be business for us," he added.
Earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was "close to reaching a multi-level agreement on new Patriot systems and missiles for them."
Trump also repeated that he was "disappointed" in the Russian leader, as he grows increasingly exasperated with Putin.
"Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening," said the disgruntled Trump.
When he first returned to the White House in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war, holding off on hiking sanctions unlike European allies.
But Russia has for months refused a ceasefire proposed by the United States and Kyiv.
Trump has repeatedly voiced displeasure with Putin in recent days, and on Sunday hinted he might finally be ready to toughen sanctions as momentum grows for a deterrent package in Congress.
When asked about whether he would announce any sanctions against Russia, Trump responded: "We're going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?" and repeated plans to meet with Rutte.
'Sledgehammer'
Earlier on Sunday, US senators touted a bipartisan bill that would arm Trump with "sledgehammer" sanctions to use against Russia.
The sanctions bill would allow Trump "to go after Putin's economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told broadcaster CBS news.
It "would give President Trump the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country that helps Russia," said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil.
"This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war," said Graham.
"Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty," Zelensky said about the proposed bill in an X post.
Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were also due to meet NATO's Rutte on Monday night.
Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.
"The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it's time to do it," said Blumenthal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
7 minutes ago
- India.com
Russia hits massive JACKPOT, bad news for Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, this discovery may cause a new…
Russia hits massive JACKPOT, bad news for Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, this discovery may cause a new… Russia's crude oil discovery may have revealed a hidden treasure but exploring it can devastate the planet. By Anirudha Yerunkar Edited by Anirudha Yerunkar Advertisement Russia has reportedly found the world's largest crude oil reserve beneath the British Antarctic Territory, a region long protected under international treaty. It is estimated to be 511 billion barrels of crude oil, and is being described as an 'ocean of oil' buried under the icy continent. Russia's Oil Discovery The discovery was made by Rosgeo, a Russian state-owned geological research company, during a scientific survey in the Weddell Sea region. According to reports, the estimated oil reserves are larger than the total amount of oil ever extracted from Earth to date. Advertisement === Though Russia claims the survey was purely scientific in nature, experts suggest it could be a strategic move to exploit Antarctica's natural resources. What's Antarctic Treaty? The 1959 Antarctic Treaty prohibits all military and commercial activities in the region, especially resource extraction. So far, over 56 countries including Russia have signed the treaty, which has helped preserve Antarctica for peaceful and scientific use. Advertisement === However, this oil discovery has raised alarm bells. Media reports claim that when the world begins to face severe shortages of natural resources, countries might start competing for control over the Antarctic's energy reserves. The British Antarctic Territory is also claimed by Chile and Argentina, both of whom have now shown interest in the region after the discovery. This can hamper the spirit of international cooperation in Antarctica and add geopolitical tensions. Can This End Saudi Arabia's Oil Dominance? With a reserve of over 511 billion barrels, the Antarctic oil deposit if ever tapped can surpass Saudi Arabia's current oil resources and reshape global energy dominance. This has raised concern that nations may eventually ignore treaties and race to claim a piece of this massive resource. Experts fear that if the global community fails to uphold the Antarctic Treaty, the continent could become the next battleground for energy supremacy. While the discovery may give a potential boost to global energy security, it also increases risk to Earth's environmental stability.
The Hindu
7 minutes ago
- The Hindu
BRS flays Cong for comprising State's interest
Former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao has accused the Congress government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of compromising the interests of Telangana and misleading its people with regard to river water issues. At a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Rao said the words and actions of Mr. Revanth Reddy are contradictory. He noted that the CM had hinted that he would boycott the meeting in New Delhi if Andhra Pradesh's Banakacherla project was discussed. 'Why did he rush to Delhi at midnight. What prompted this sudden trip? What secret understanding was reached in the dead of night?, he questioned. He pointed out that the CM had falsely claimed that Banakacherla was not on the agenda. In reality, it was the first item on the agenda. While Andhra Pradesh Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu confirmed discussions on Banakacherla and the formation of a committee, Mr. Revanth Reddy denied any such discussion. 'Is this the level of honesty expected from a Chief Minister?,' he wondered. Mr. Rao pointed out that Central Water Commission, GRMB, and the Polavaram Project Authority had all rejected the pre-feasibility report for Banakacherla. 'These statutory bodies, created through Parliament, denied approvals. How then did the Centre convene this meeting? Why did Revanth agree to a committee? His actions are nothing short of signing a death warrant for Telangana,' Mr. Rao said. On telemetry, he clarified that installations up to Pothireddypadu were already set up during the BRS tenure and BRS had proposed similar arrangements at all projects. He criticised the move to shift the KRMB office from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, calling it a betrayal.
The Hindu
7 minutes ago
- The Hindu
BJP dares Congress to show commitment to oppressed sections by declaring Mallikarjun Kharge as PM candidate
Even as the AICC OBC Advisory Council meeting was held in Bengaluru, the Opposition BJP has questioned the commitment of the Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the welfare of the oppressed sections and challenged the party to declare its president and Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge as its prime ministerial candidate. 'If the Congress really cares about the oppressed communities, it should declare Mallikarjun Kharge as its prime ministerial candidate. But it will not. Because its top leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will never accept it,' Mr. Vijayendra said at a press conference in Bengaluru. Ridiculing Mr. Siddaramaiah, Mr. Vijayendra said, 'He calls himself the champion of minorities, backward classes, and Dalits (AHINDA). He boasted about tabling the Kantharaj commission report in the State Cabinet. But after a phone call from Delhi and Rahul Gandhi's directions, the report, which cost ₹165 crore to prepare, was thrown into the dustbin.' Pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi too hailed from a backward community, he said, 'Unlike Mr. Siddaramaiah, who keeps claiming to be a backward class leader, Mr. Modi never played identity politics but instead promoted the 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' motto'. He alleged that the OBC outreach and emotional appeals by Mr. Siddaramaiah and the AICC were merely due to the approaching Bihar Assembly elections.
