Trump approves Patriot missiles to Ukraine, bills EU for costs
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews upon his return to Washington, Trump said: "I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection, but the European Union is paying for it. We're not paying anything for it, but we will send it."
Trump also took a jab at Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need because Putin has really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening. A little bit of a problem there. I don't like it."Read more: Trump hints at Russia confrontation: 'You'll see things happening'
The decision follows a short-lived halt by the Defense Department last week, which paused delivery of certain air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns over depleted US military stockpiles. The White House later confirmed that the halt came after a global assessment of American military commitments.
However, the Pentagon reversed the decision days later, announcing on Tuesday that it would resume shipments of additional defensive weapons to Ukraine. The reversal followed Trump's directive, with the Pentagon stating the move was intended "to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops."
Trump later told reporters that he was unaware of who had approved the earlier pause in deliveries.
Trump also announced that he will meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House today, on Monday. This comes after his statement last Thursday, where he said a deal had been reached with NATO to send weapons to Ukraine, with the military alliance bearing most of the financial burden.
In a statement to NBC News, Trump said, "We're sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%. So what we're doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons [to Ukraine], and NATO is paying for those weapons." He noted that the deal was reached during the last NATO summit.
"We send weapons to NATO, and NATO is going to reimburse the full cost of those weapons," Trump added.
Read more: US redirects $1.6bln in Ukraine aid to boost shell production
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