Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, insists EU will pay for them
US President Donald Trump says Washington will send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, with the European Union having to pay for them, one week after he said his nation will supply Ukraine with new weapons through NATO allies.
Trump has signaled his growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for allegedly refusing to negotiate a ceasefire proposal.
While Putin has agreed to brief pauses in the fighting, he has rejected US proposals for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Russia has argued that the proposal, which Ukraine has accepted, would give Kiev a chance to remobilize its troops and rearm.
Trump is now set to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington on July 14 and is expected to discuss his plans to supply weapons to Ukraine.
“We are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military. They’re going to pay us 100% for them,” Trump said.
Trump said he had not decided on the number of Patriot batteries he would send to Ukraine, but said, “They’re going to have some because they do need protection.”
“I haven’t agreed on the number yet, but they’re going to have some because they do need protection. But the European Union is paying for it. We’re not paying anything for it, but we will send it. It will be business for us, and we will send them Patriots,” he added.
After returning to the White House in January, Trump scaled back support for Ukraine, said Washington’s aid is a drain on the US taxpayer, and accused Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky of being an obstacle to peace.
Following months of unsuccessful efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, Trump backtracked on his decision to not send weapons to Ukraine, and on July 7 announced that he would begin approving shipments to Ukraine comprised mostly of “defensive weapons.”
Trump has said several times that he has a surprise announcement about Russia as well. Asked on Sunday if his upcoming announcement on Russia would involve sanctions against Moscow, he declined to answer.
Since the Ukraine war began in February 2022, the US has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in military assistance as Russia warns continued military support for Kiev will only prolong the conflict.
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