Trump to Arm Ukraine with Patriot Missiles, Slams Putin: ‘Talks Nice, Then Bombs’
In a significant policy shift, US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will be sending Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine to counter increasing Russian aggression. The move signals growing American frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump accused of duplicity, saying he “talks so beautifully, then he’ll bomb people at night.”
The announcement was made to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, where President Trump confirmed the delivery of the much-needed defensive weapons to Kyiv. “We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” he stated, adding that while the exact number is yet to be decided, Ukraine would be required to pay “100% for that.”
This decision marks a pivot from Trump’s earlier stance of withholding heavier military aid in the hopes of negotiating a peace deal with Moscow. However, months of failed talks and relentless Russian missile strikes have evidently exhausted his patience.
“I am very disappointed with President Putin,” Trump expressed. “I thought he was somebody that meant what he said… I don’t like it.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long pleaded for advanced systems like the Patriot to protect Ukrainian cities from constant aerial bombardment by Russian missiles and drones.
The move to supply Patriot systems is reportedly part of a larger, more “aggressive” military aid package for Ukraine. According to an Axios report, this package may also include long-range offensive weapons capable of striking deep within Russian territory. The full details of this new aid are expected to be unveiled during a meeting between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday.
A key trigger for this hardened US stance was reportedly a July 3 phone call between Trump and Putin, during which the Russian leader indicated an intention to escalate the conflict.
Adding to the pressure on Moscow, Trump hinted that new sanctions against Russia could be announced as early as Monday. “We’re going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?” he told reporters when asked about the possibility.
This potential executive action is bolstered by a new bipartisan sanctions bill introduced by US senators. The proposed legislation would grant President Trump sweeping authority to impose tariffs of up to 500 per cent on any country found to be aiding Russia’s war effort, a move that could impact nations like China, India, or Brazil.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham described the bill as a “sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war.” Speaking to CBS News, Graham said, “It would give President Trump the ability to go after Putin’s economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine.”
President Trump, who returned to the presidency in January, had initially pursued a strategy of engagement with Putin, hoping to broker a ceasefire. This recent series of announcements indicates that this approach has been abandoned in favour of a more robust and confrontational strategy to support Ukraine and penalize Russia.
