US President Donald Trump has said he will send additional Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine, days after the Pentagon reversed its decision to halt some military aid.
“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening. But there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington on Sunday evening.
The US president did not clarify whether he was speaking only about ammunition for the Patriots or also the air defense systems.
He noted that he has not yet agreed on the number, adding that Ukraine “would have some because they do need protection.”
“But the European Union is paying for them. We are not paying anything for them… This will be a business for us,” Trump said.
He made the remarks following media reports that he was considering a new military aid package, which would potentially include both defensive and offensive missiles. Trump previously said he had approved shipments of defensive weapons, without providing further details.
Trump has recently ramped up his criticism of Putin, who he has blamed for the lack of a breakthrough in US-mediated negotiations between Moscow and Kiev. He also said he is “unhappy” with the Russian president, remarking that he is “very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless” with regard to achieving a ceasefire.
Russia continues to conduct strikes on Ukraine, saying it only attacks military-related targets and never civilians.
Moscow has also said the strikes are retaliation for Ukraine’s attacks on Russian territory which often target civilians, residential buildings, and critical infrastructure.
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