US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine will receive more weapons, mainly for defense, to help it defend itself from Russian attacks, Reuters reports.
In June, Washington decided to halt arms supplies to Ukraine, and Kyiv warned that this would weaken Ukraine’s ability to resist Russian attacks. Trump’s decision was criticized by both Democrats and some Republicans.
Before dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Trump told reporters: “We’re going to send more weapons. We have to do it. They have to be able to protect themselves.” The US president added that Ukraine is currently being hit very hard and Americans need to help.
The US Department of Defense later said in a statement that, at Trump’s direction,
additional weapons would be sent to Ukraine for defense
while efforts continue to achieve a lasting peace. At the same time, a plan to review the amount of weapons sent to other countries remains in place.
On the 4th of July, Trump told reporters that Ukraine needed Patriot air defense systems, but on the 7th of July, he did not specifically mention them. The Pentagon also did not provide further information about the composition of the shipment. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 4th of July after a conversation with the US president that Trump had agreed to work on strengthening Kiev’s air defense capabilities. Joint weapons production, their acquisition and investment were also discussed.
Ukraine has asked Washington to supply more Patriot systems and ammunition, which are considered the basis for protecting cities from Russian strikes. Germany has indicated that it is currently negotiating to purchase the missing Patriot systems for Ukraine.
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