After Kyiv and its allies denounced a previous decision to freeze some weaponry supplies, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that his government will supply more weapons to Ukraine.
The latest shipments will mostly consist of “defensive weapons,” Trump told reporters prior to a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC, on Monday.
We intend to dispatch additional munitions. We must. They must be capable of self-defense,” Trump stated.
“They’re being hit really hard right now.”
Later on Monday, Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, reaffirmed Trump’s remarks, stating that Washington would supply “additional defensive weapons” to “ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.”
Trump would keep assessing military exports abroad in line with “our America First defense priorities,” Parnell continued.
Trump’s promise followed Russia’s announcement on Monday that it had taken control of the Ukrainian settlement of Dachne in Dnipropetrovsk, after months of annexation efforts in the central region.
The decision also came after the Pentagon said last week that it would stop delivering certain weapons, like as precision-guided artillery and air defense missiles, because it was worried that stocks were getting too low.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and his US counterpart had decided to work on bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses during a phone conversation with Trump on Friday.
Trump said his government was “looking at” selling more Patriot missiles to Kyiv and praised the call as “very good” on Friday.
“They are necessary for defense.” On Air Force One, Trump told reporters, “I don’t want to see people killed.”
Source: Al Jazeera and other media outlets
