Monday, July 14, 2025 - US President Donald Trump on Sunday, July 13, announced that Washington will provide Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv and hinted at new sanctions on Russia, once again expressing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s prolonged war in Ukraine.
Trump’s pledge of crucial weapons support came shortly after
he teased a “major statement... on Russia” expected Monday. That announcement
could coincide with a busy diplomatic day, as the US special envoy heads to
Ukraine and Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has dragged on for more than three
years, with Moscow intensifying strikes this summer while US-led negotiations
have yet to produce a breakthrough.
“We will
send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump told reporters at Joint
Base Andrews after returning from the FIFA Club World Cup final in New
Jersey.
“I haven’t
agreed on the number yet, but they’re going to have some because they do need
protection.”
The White House’s decision reverses its earlier position
this month to pause certain arms deliveries to Kyiv. Under the new arrangement,
NATO is expected to finance part of the weapons package by paying the US
directly.
“We
basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military
and they’re going to pay us 100 percent for them,” Trump said. “It’ll be
business for us.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said Kyiv
was “close to reaching a multi-level agreement on new Patriot systems and
missiles.”
Meanwhile, Trump again aired his disappointment with Putin.
“Putin
really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in
the evening,” Trump said, clearly exasperated.
When he returned to the White House in January, Trump had
voiced optimism about working with Putin to end the conflict and initially
resisted increasing sanctions, unlike America’s European allies. But Russia has
continued to reject US-backed ceasefire proposals.
Now, momentum is building in Congress for tougher measures.
On Sunday, when pressed about possible new sanctions on Russia, Trump replied,
“We’re going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?” referencing his upcoming
meeting with NATO’s Rutte.
Earlier in the day, US senators promoted a bipartisan bill
that would equip Trump with sweeping powers to impose severe sanctions on
Russia.
“It would
give President Trump the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country
that helps Russia,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on CBS News, citing
possible targets like China, India, or Brazil. “This is truly a sledgehammer
available to President Trump to end this war.”
Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who will
also meet with Rutte on Monday, said the bill could let the US seize frozen
Russian assets in Europe and America to support Ukraine.
“The $5
billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it’s
time to do it,” Blumenthal added.
President Zelensky welcomed the proposal on X (formerly
Twitter), writing:
“Without a
doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and
make sure diplomacy is not empty.”
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