Trump Considers Sending Additional Patriot System to Ukraine
President Donald Trump is considering approving the delivery of an additional U.S.-made Patriot air-defense system to Ukraine that would expand Washington’s direct military assistance beyond levels set by the Biden administration.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to The Wall Street Journal.
The deliberation comes just days after Trump publicly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledged to bolster Ukraine’s defenses in light of intensifying Russian aerial assaults.
Trump has requested the Pentagon provide options for reinforcing Ukraine’s air defense, including the potential allocation of another Patriot battery.
Officials are also exploring the possibility of requesting additional systems from U.S. allies.
The U.S. has provided Kyiv with three Patriot systems, Germany has sent another three, and a consortium of European countries has contributed one, according to a former Pentagon official.
However, operational challenges and maintenance issues have kept some systems non-operational, leaving gaps in Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russia’s sustained missile and drone attacks.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said that while Putin can sometimes appear “very nice,” his assurances are ultimately “meaningless.”
In parallel, Trump has signaled openness to increasing economic pressure on Moscow. He expressed interest in a bipartisan Senate bill that would impose sanctions or tariffs on countries supporting Russia’s war effort.
In addition, Trump has in recent weeks acknowledged Ukraine’s resilience.“The Ukrainians, whether you think it is unfair that we gave all that money or not, they were very brave,” he told reporters.
As The Gaze reported earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States will send additional weapons to Ukraine, primarily defensive in nature, to help the country defend itself against renewed Russian military advances.