President Trump Reverses Stance on Ukraine, Promises More Defensive Weapons

President Donald Trump reversed his stance on Ukraine, stating the US will have to send more weapons to Kyiv, mainly defensive ones, to assist the war-torn nation in defending itself against escalating Russian offensives.

While beginning a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump stated, 'We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily.' The US Defense Department later announced that, under Trump’s direction, it would send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to help the Ukrainians protect themselves as efforts toward a lasting peace continued.

The Pentagon's ongoing initiative to assess military shipments globally remained in place. Trump on Friday said that Ukraine would require Patriot missiles for its defense, but he did not specifically reference them again on Monday. The Pentagon’s announcement did not include specifics about the weapons being sent to Ukraine.

The halt was a part of “standard review of all weapons and all aid” that the US “is providing all countries and all regions around the world. Not just Ukraine,” according to White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. She added Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the worldwide assessment to make certain that “everything that’s going out the door aligns with America’s interests,” an AP report said.

Following a phone conversation with Trump on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that they had agreed to strengthen Kyiv’s ability to “defend the sky” amid growing Russian assaults. He added that the two leaders had talked about cooperative defense manufacturing, acquisitions, and financial commitments.

Ukraine has been requesting additional Patriot missile systems from Washington, viewing them as essential for protecting its cities against escalating Russian aerial attacks, Reuters reported. Germany stated that it was engaged in discussions about purchasing Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine to help cover the shortfall.

Russia-Ukraine war authorities said Russia launched over 100 drones at civilian targets in Ukraine overnight. Russia recently has increased its aerial assaults on civilian areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said over the past week, Russia had launched approximately 1,270 drones, 39 missiles, and nearly 1,000 heavy glide bombs at Ukraine. (with inputs from AP and Reuters)