President Donald Trump announced that the US would send a limited number of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine, which would be paid for by Europeans.
“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 focused on the US getting “ripped off” by sending more weapons to Ukraine than to Europe. Under President Joe Biden, the US provided well over $100 billion to Kiev.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon halted the shipment of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as well as several other munitions, due to shortages in US stockpiles. The Department of Defense assessed that it only had 25% of the Patriots interceptors it needed for its battle plans.
Senator Lindsey Graham said the arms transfer to Ukraine is a shift in Trump’s policy to become more aggressive against Russia. “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 more weapons sent to Ukraine could be paid for by seized Russian assets.
