President Trump directed the Pentagon to send more arms to Ukraine, saying, ‘They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now.’
The Pentagon announced on Monday night that it is sending more defensive weapons to Ukraine amid the Eastern European country’s ongoing war with Russia.
In a statement, the defense department said, “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.
“Our framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect and is integral to our America First defense priorities.”The statement comes hours after President Donald Trump, when asked by reporters at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the United States is “going to send some more weapons” to Ukraine.
“We have to,” he said. “They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now.
“They’re getting hit very hard … So many people are dying in that mess.”
The president added that the weapons the United States will be supplying are “defensive weapons, primarily.”
On July 4, Ukraine suffered the largest aerial assault from Russia since Moscow’s invasion of the country in February 2022, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. They estimate that 539 Iranian Shahed drones and 11 missiles targeted the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. The rest were intercepted.
Following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after a phone call with Trump that Ukraine’s air defenses, thanks to the support of partner nations, had been key in ensuring that the attack did not result in further devastation.
The same day, Trump told reporters that Ukraine would need Patriot missiles for self-defense. He did not mention them again specifically in his comments on July 7.
Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems, which it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.
On July 2, the United States halted shipments of some arms to Ukraine as part of a Pentagon “capability review” to ensure that U.S. military aid aligns with the nation’s “defense priorities.”
By Melanie Sun
