Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

US president makes announcement amid increasing vexation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

United States President Donald Trump has said helium volition nonstop Patriot aerial defence systems to Ukraine arsenic his medication signals increasing disillusionment with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to negociate an extremity to Moscow’s invasion.

“We volition nonstop them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump told reporters astatine Joint Base Andrews successful Maryland connected Sunday.

“Putin truly amazed a batch of people. He talks bully and past helium bombs everybody successful the evening,” Trump said.

“So, there’s a small spot of a occupation there. I don’t similar it.”

Trump said helium had not decided connected the fig of Patriot batteries helium would nonstop to Ukraine, but “they’re going to person immoderate due to the fact that they bash request protection.”

Trump’s comments travel aft helium past week confirmed that his medication had decided to merchantability weapons to NATO allies successful Europe for them to walk connected to Kyiv.

Trump is acceptable to conscionable NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte this week for discussions expected to absorption connected his plans to proviso weapons to Kyiv.

Rutte’s travel to Washington, DC comes arsenic Trump has teased that helium volition marque a “major statement” connected Russia connected Monday.

After campaigning connected a committedness to bring a swift extremity to the warfare successful Ukraine, Trump has expressed increasing vexation with Putin’s refusal to hold to a bid deal.

While Putin has agreed to little pauses successful fighting, helium has knocked backmost US proposals for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

Russia has argued that the proposal, which has been accepted by Ukraine, would springiness Kyiv a accidental to remobilise its troops and rearm.

In immoderate of his strongest disapproval yet of Putin, Trump connected Tuesday accused the Russian person of throwing a batch of “b******” astatine the US.

“He’s precise bully each the time, but it turns retired to beryllium meaningless,” Trump said.

After returning to the White House successful January, Trump moved to standard backmost enactment for Kyiv, casting Washington’s assistance arsenic a drain connected the US payer and accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being an obstacle to peace.

While Ukraine continued to person weaponry done funds allocated during the tenure of erstwhile US president Joe Biden, Trump had declined to o.k. caller arms shipments to assistance Kyiv repel Moscow’s invasion.

Following months of unsuccessful efforts to broker a bid betwixt Moscow and Kyiv, Trump connected July 7 announced that helium would statesman approving shipments to Ukraine comprised mostly of “defensive weapons”.

Asked connected Sunday if his upcoming announcement connected Russia would impact sanctions against Moscow, Trump declined to reply but repeated that helium was disappointed with Putin.

“I americium precise disappointed with President Putin. I thought helium was idiosyncratic that meant what helium said,” Trump said.

“And he’ll speech truthful beautifully, and past he’ll weaponry radical astatine night. We don’t similar that.”