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Donald Trump has mentioned the US will ship extra weapons to Ukraine, lower than every week after Washington abruptly halted deliveries of some essential weaponry for Kyiv.
The president’s feedback on Monday signalled a departure from the Pentagon, which had stopped deliveries of sure weapons after issues that its stockpiles had decreased an excessive amount of to maintain the move to Ukraine.
“We’re going to ship some extra weapons. We now have to, they’ve to have the ability to defend themselves,” Trump mentioned, including the weapons would primarily be defensive. “They’re getting hit very laborious now.”
Trump’s feedback got here amid warming ties with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and as he repeated that he was “not joyful” with Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to seek out an finish to the conflict.
The Pentagon didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark about Trump’s remarks.
The Pentagon final week mentioned it was “rigorously inspecting and adapting” its method to offering navy assist to Ukraine “whereas additionally preserving US navy readiness and defence priorities to assist the president’s America First agenda”.
The pause in deliveries got here after a “functionality assessment” carried out “to make sure US navy assist aligns with our defence priorities”, Parnell instructed reporters on Wednesday.
Lots of the weapons affected are essential to Ukraine’s air capabilities and defence, together with the PAC-3 interceptors for the Patriot techniques, dozens of Stinger man-portable air defence techniques, and AIM missiles launched by Ukraine’s NASAMS and F-16 fighter jets, in keeping with senior US officers.
Anti-tank techniques such because the AT4 grenade launcher had been additionally affected, whereas a few of the 250 Guided A number of Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rounds used to strike floor targets precisely at lengthy distances had been held up.
The halt in weapons deliveries got here at a essential time within the battle between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow escalating its aerial marketing campaign in current weeks. Russia launched its largest-ever drone and missile assault on Ukraine on Friday, simply two days after the US stopped sending the weapons, which Kyiv depends on on the entrance strains.
Moscow’s troops have additionally been advancing on the jap battlefields at their quickest tempo since November, threatening a number of essential Ukrainian strongholds.
Trump and Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine’s air defence wants in a telephone name on Friday.
Zelenskyy mentioned he and Trump mentioned the wartime state of affairs, “together with Russian air strikes and the broader frontline developments” following the Russian assault.
Earlier than the Pentagon stopped the deliveries, Trump had mentioned Washington was wanting into making extra Patriot missiles obtainable to Ukraine. Zelenskyy has mentioned he’s prepared to purchase Patriot air defence batteries, interceptors and different weapons from the US.
