Trump says Ukraine will get more weapons from the US after all
"We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves," Trump told reporters before his dinner with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
"Defensive weapons, primarily, but they are getting hit very, very hard," Trump continued. "So many people are dying in that mess."
Trump's comments come less than a week after the Pentagon said it was pausing weapon deliveries to Ukraine as part of a "capability review." Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a press briefing on July 2 that the review was "being conducted to ensure US military aid aligns with our defense priorities."
"We see this as a common sense, pragmatic step towards having a framework to evaluate what munitions are sent and where," Parnell added.
Parnell said in a subsequent statement on Monday that the Pentagon would be sending "additional defensive weapons" to Ukraine. He added that the Defense Department's "framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect."
The US has provided Ukraine with more than $66 billion in military assistance since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Trump told reporters on Friday that he had a "very good call" with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Their conversation had taken place on the same day. When asked if the US is planning to work with Ukraine, Trump said the US "will continue to help them."
"I was very unhappy with my call with President Putin and it just seems like he wants to go all the way and just keep killing people," Trump said of his conversation with Russia's leader on Thursday.
He added that Ukraine would need US-made Patriot missile systems to defend themselves against Russia, but stopped short of confirming if they would be sent to Ukraine.
"Yeah, we might. We are looking at it," Trump said on Friday.
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