President Donald Trump has announced that the US will send a limited number of Patriot missile interceptors to Ukraine, claiming the European Union would pay for it. The Pentagon recently halted certain arms transfers to Kiev due to limited supplies, but the decision was quickly reversed.
“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,” Trump said. “We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin has really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice, and then he bombs everybody in the evening. A little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it.”
The president has insisted the US has been “ripped off” by sending more weapons to Ukraine than Europe has. Under President Joe Biden, Washington provided well over $100 billion in aid to Kiev.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon halted the shipment of Patriot missiles and several other munitions to Ukraine due to shortages in US stockpiles. The Defense Department assessed that it had only 25% of the Patriot interceptors it would need for its battle plans.
Senator Lindsey Graham said the arms transfer to Ukraine was an example of Trump’s policy shift to become more aggressive toward Moscow, calling for a new round of sanctions. “He’s left the door open regarding Russia. That door is about to close. [Senator Richard Blumenthal] and I have got 85 co-sponsors in the United States Senate for congressional sanctions with a sledgehammer available to President Trump to go after Putin’s economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine,” the senator said on Face the Nation.
Graham also said that seized Russian assets could be used to finance additional weapons for Ukraine.
