On Monday, President Trump stated that his administration would be dispatching defensive weaponry to Ukraine, enabling the war-affected nation to protect itself from Russia’s ongoing invasion. This marks a notable reversal after the Pentagon indicated last week it was pausing such shipments.
His remarks coincided with reports from officials on Monday that Russian assaults in Ukraine had resulted in at least 11 civilian fatalities and over 80 injuries, among them seven children.
“We must,” Trump responded when asked at the commencement of a White House dinner he was hosting for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “They need to be capable of defending themselves. They are currently facing severe attacks. We will be dispatching additional weapons — primarily defensive arms.”
Russia persists in its advance and presently occupies slightly less than one-fifth of Ukraine’s land, encompassing Crimea, the entirety of Luhansk, the majority of three other regions, and small sections of three more regions.
Trump’s consistent attempts to arrange a ceasefire have been unsuccessful, and the president continued to express his dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who persists in intensifying military operations.
“I am entirely displeased with President Putin,” Trump stated.
The Department of Defense subsequently announced its intention to dispatch further defensive armaments to Ukraine, following Trump’s directive, to ensure Ukrainians can protect themselves as efforts to achieve enduring peace proceed.
“Our structured approach for the President to assess military deliveries worldwide remains active and is essential to our America First defense objectives,” stated Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
Ukraine has been requesting that Washington provide more Patriot missiles and related systems, which it considers crucial for safeguarding its cities from escalating Russian aerial attacks.
Last week, the Pentagon halted certain deliveries of vital weaponry to Ukraine, such as Patriot missile interceptors and 155mm artillery rounds, during a critical phase in Kyiv’s conflict with Russia, as confirmed. Data from those monitoring the shipments indicated that the weapons had already been positioned in Poland prior to the order being issued.
This development occurred as Russia initiated its assault, involving nearly 500 drones and 60 missiles.
Responding to Trump’s statements, the Kremlin indicated it would require time to ascertain the details of U.S. weapons assistance to Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted numerous conflicting declarations regarding U.S. arms provisions to Ukraine, although he affirmed that European weapon shipments were ongoing.
“Clearly, supplies are persisting, that much is evident. It is also clear that Europeans are actively engaged in inundating Ukraine with weaponry,” Peskov remarked, as reported by Reuters. “Regarding the type and volume of supplies Ukraine continues to acquire from the United States, it will still take time to establish this conclusively,” he further stated.
Peskov conveyed that Moscow appreciated Trump’s endeavors to commence direct discussions between Russia and Ukraine, and that considerable potential existed for resuming Russian-U.S. commercial and economic ties.
In a separate development, Russia’s transport minister, Roman Starovoit, was discovered deceased in what authorities described as an apparent suicide — information that emerged hours after the Kremlin declared his dismissal by Putin, according to The Associated Press. Russian media outlets have suggested that his termination might be connected to an inquiry into the misappropriation of government funds designated for constructing fortifications in the Kursk region, where he previously served as governor before assuming the transport ministerial role.
Starovoit’s removal occurred after a weekend characterized by travel disruption, during which airports canceled hundreds of flights due to the threat of drone assaults. Russian officials provided no explanation for his dismissal.
Jasmine Baehr and Jennifer Griffin, alongside The Associated Press and Reuters, contributed to this report.