Trump says US has given Ukraine too many weapons
President Donald Trump complained Thursday that the United States provided too many weapons to Ukraine under the previous administration, his first public comments on the pause in some shipments as Russia escalates its latest offensive.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One for a flight to Iowa, Trump said former President Joe Biden "emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves."
Air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons are among those being withheld from Ukraine. The country suffered a new barrage overnight, with warnings of ballistic missiles followed by explosions in Kyiv. The sound of machine gun fire and drone engines could be heard across the capital.
Trump, who also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, suggested he wasn't completely cutting off American assistance to Ukraine.
"We've given so many weapons," he said, adding that "we are working with them and trying to help them."
Trump said he had a "pretty long call" with Putin that "didn't make any progress" in resolving the war, which the Republican president had promised to swiftly bring to a conclusion.
"I'm not happy about that," he said.
The Kremlin described the conversation as "frank and constructive" — the sixth publicly disclosed chat between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House.
While discussing the situation around Iran and in the broader Middle East, Putin emphasized the need to resolve all differences "exclusively by political and diplomatic means," said Yuri Ushakov, his foreign affairs adviser.
The leaders agreed that Russian and U.S. officials will maintain contact on the issue, he added.
The United States struck three sites in Iran on June 22, inserting itself into Israel's war aimed at destroying Tehran's nuclear program.
On the conflict in Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump emphasized his push for a quick halt to the fighting, and Putin voiced Moscow's readiness to pursue talks with Kyiv, noting the previous rounds in Turkey yielded humanitarian results.
At the same time, the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the "root causes" of the conflict, Ushakov said.
"Russia will not back down from these goals," Ushakov told reporters after the call.
Putin has argued he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to fend off a threat to Russia posed by Ukraine's push to join NATO and to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine — arguments rejected by Kyiv and its allies. He insisted that any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine abandon its NATO bid and recognize Russia's territorial gains.
Ushakov said a suspension of some U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine wasn't discussed in the Trump-Putin call.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Denmark after meeting with major European Union backers that he may talk to Trump in the coming days about the suspension.
"I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump," he said.
The previous publicly known call between Trump and Putin came June 14, a day after Israel attacked Iran.
The resumed contact between Trump and Putin appeared to reflect their interest in mending U.S.-Russian ties that have plummeted to their lowest point since the Cold War.
Ushakov said the leaders discussed developments in Syria and expressed interest in pursuing bilateral projects in the energy sector and space exploration, during what he described as "frank, businesslike and concrete conversation."
The Kremlin adviser added that Putin even suggested that the U.S. and Russia could exchange movies promoting "traditional values shared by us and the Trump administration."
On Tuesday, Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron held their first direct telephone call in almost three years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
2 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Lammy voices support to Lebanon's security and stability in visit to country
by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 July 2025, 10:57 British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has visited Lebanon as part of a regional tour, reiterating the UK's "ongoing support for Lebanon's security, stability and future prosperity," the British embassy said. The Foreign Secretary met with President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace and discussions focused on the latest local and regional developments and UK-Lebanon bilateral relations. The Foreign Secretary spoke about "the urgency of efforts to reach a lasting peace in Lebanon and the region," stressing "the importance of Lebanon and Israel implementing the ceasefire agreement in full, including the withdrawal of Israeli Forces and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) throughout the South," the embassy said in a statement. He commended the "long-standing and strong bilateral partnership between Lebanon and the UK including with the LAF, both in the South and on the border with Syria." Since 2009, the UK has spent over £115 million to support the LAF with infrastructure, vehicles, training and equipment and since 2013 supported the establishment of the Land Border Regiments (LBRs) on the border with Syria. The Foreign Secretary also reiterated the UK's support for UNIFIL and the role they play for stability in South Lebanon, as mandated in UNSCR 1701. He also called for "urgent implementation of essential economic reforms and transparent processes for justice and accountability." British Ambassador Hamish Cowell said: 'I was pleased to welcome British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to Lebanon, following unprecedented regional tensions. Efforts must continue to secure a lasting ceasefire in Lebanon and allow the full deployment of the Lebanese Army to the south of the country, as the sole legitimate defender of Lebanon." 'Stability in the Middle East is in everyone's interest. The full implementation of UNSCR 1701 is crucial to Lebanon and the region's future security. Lebanon's path to recovery is dependent on essential reforms, including those required to secure an IMF agreement to rebuild the economy and unlock international investment," Cowell added, noting that "the UK remains a steadfast partner to Lebanon and its people."
Nahar Net
3 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Britain reestablishes full Syria ties as FM visits Damascus
by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 July 2025, 10:47 Britain reestablished full diplomatic relations with Syria on Saturday, more than a decade after cutting ties, as Foreign Secretary David Lammy met the country's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. In 2011, Britain was among the first countries to acknowledge rebel groups as the official Syrian government after then-president Bashar al-Assad's crushing of pro-democracy protests plunged the country into civil war. London also joined sanctions against Syria and later closed its embassy in Damascus, going on to launch air strikes on Assad's forces. Assad was ultimately toppled in December after more than 13 years of fighting by a rebel offensive led by Sharaa, now Syria's interim president. "The UK is reestablishing diplomatic relations because it is in our interests to support the new government to deliver their commitment to build a stable, more secure and prosperous future for all Syrians," Lammy said in a statement. Photos released by Sharaa's office showed him and Lammy meeting alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. Their discussions addressed "bilateral ties... and ways of strengthening cooperation, as well as regional and international developments", the presidency said in a statement. The Syrian foreign ministry issued a similar statement following a separate meeting between Lammy and Shaibani. Lammy said a stable Syria would benefit Britain by "reducing the risk of irregular migration, ensuring the destruction of chemical weapons" and "tackling the threat of terrorism". Britain's Foreign Office said Assad's overthrow was an opportunity to "fully declare and destroy Assad's evil chemical weapons program," adding that London had contributed an additional $2.7 million to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to help Syria do so. In 2018, the UK joined US air strikes on Syria's chemical weapons in response to a suspected poison gas attack by Assad's forces. - Sanctions lifted - Syria has experienced a flurry of diplomatic activity in the months since Islamist-led forces ousted Assad. In May, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra met with an official British delegation, the defense ministry said at the time. In April, the British government announced it was lifting sanctions imposed on Syria's interior and defense ministries under Assad. It also said it was removing sanctions against various media groups and intelligence agencies, as well as on some sectors of the economy including financial services and energy production. A month earlier, it ended sanctions on 24 entities including Syria's central bank. The United States has also lifted sanctions on Syria and is planning to remove it from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Last month, Damascus carried out its first electronic transfer through the international banking system since the imposition of sanctions. The growing international backing comes as Syria's new leaders attempt to rebuild the country and reboot its moribund economy, both ravaged by the conflict and crippling sanctions. Britain's Foreign Office said London had committed an extra $129 million to provide "urgent humanitarian aid" and support Syria's reconstruction as well as countries hosting Syrian refugees.
Nahar Net
3 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Khamenei makes first public appearance since Israel war
by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 July 2025, 10:49 Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday made his first public appearance since the outbreak of his country's recent 12-day war with Israel, taking part in a religious ceremony in Tehran, state media reported. The octogenarian leader was shown in a video broadcast by state television greeting people and being cheered at a mosque as worshippers marked the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, an important date for Shia Muslims. Khamenei, 86, can be seen on stage dressed in black as the crowd before him, fists in the air, chants "The blood in our veins for our leader!" State TV said the clip was filmed at central Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosque, named for the founder of the Islamic republic. Khamenei, in power since 1989, spoke last week in a pre-recorded video, but had not been seen in public since before Israel initiated the conflict with a wave of surprise air strikes on June 13. His last public appearance was two days before that, when he met with members of parliament. Israel's bombing campaign followed a decades-long shadow war with Iran, and was aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon -- an ambition Tehran has consistently denied. The strikes killed more than 900 people in Iran, its judiciary has said, while retaliatory Iranian missile barrages aimed at Israeli cities killed at least 28 people there, according to official figures.
