On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense missiles, emphasizing their importance in defending the nation. He criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that while Putin “talks nice,” he continues to conduct evening bombardments.
Trump did not specify how many Patriot systems would be sent to Ukraine but assured that the European Union would cover the costs. His frustration with Putin has been growing as the Russian leader resists Trump’s efforts to mediate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been advocating for enhanced defense systems to counter the relentless missile and drone assaults from Russia.
“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because 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.
“We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military equipment. They are going to pay us 100% for that, and that’s the way we want it,” Trump said.
He plans to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss Ukraine and other issues this week.
