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Donald Trump has said the US will send more weapons to Ukraine after an announcement last week that Washington would halt some shipments of critical arms to Kyiv.
During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he was “not happy” with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and that Ukraine was “getting hit very hard”.
Trump also indicated the US would send primarily “defensive weapons” to help Ukraine’s war effort.
Among the armaments reported to have been placed on pause last week were Patriot air defence missiles and precision artillery shells. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky had appealed for the shipments to continue, describing US Patriot systems as “real protectors of life”.
The White House said last week the decision had been made “to put America’s interests first” in response to a defence department review of military support to other countries.
Trump’s apparent change of heart came after days of deadly Russian drone and missile barrages on Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv. One attack on the city last Thursday has claimed a third life, according to local officials.
Trump said late on Monday that Kyiv needed to be able to defend itself.
“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to… They’re getting hit very hard now,” he said during a news conference with Netanyahu.
“I’m disappointed that President Putin has not stopped,” he added.
The Pentagon responded with a brief statement, saying that “at President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops”.
After a week of uncertainty, the US move will come as a relief to Ukraine, says the BBC’s Paul Adams in Kyiv.
Kyiv had warned that the move to pause some shipments would impede its ability to defend against escalating airstrikes and Russian advances on the front lines.
Zelensky said late last week that he had spoken to Trump “about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies”.
The war in Ukraine has been raging for more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ceasefire talks have also largely stalled after several attempts by Trump to broker a deal between the two parties.
Following a call with Putin last week, Trump said that “no progress” to end the conflict had been made, adding “I don’t think he’s looking to stop”.
Hours after the call, Ukraine said Russia fired a record 539 drones and 11 missiles targeting Kyiv, but also hitting the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv.
Zelensky has called on international allies – particularly the US – to increase pressure on Moscow and impose greater sanctions.
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