President Donald Trump announced the United States will send Patriot missile systems and other advanced military equipment to Ukraine, marking a major escalation in Western support for Kyiv as Russian strikes intensify and diplomatic prospects stall. The move comes as European Union nations have agreed to pay in full for the U.S.-made weapons, a condition Trump repeatedly emphasized while defending the policy shift.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is in Washington this week for meetings with President Trump, as the White House prepares to unveil what officials have described as an "aggressive" new weapons package for Ukraine. According to two sources briefed on the plan, the new approach will include offensive systems-potentially even long-range missiles capable of reaching deep inside Russian territory, though the final list of items was still being debated as of Sunday.
Trump stated, "I'm going to have a meeting with the Secretary General coming in tomorrow. But we basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military. And they are going to pay us 100 percent for them. And that's the way we want it." He added, "I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some. Because they do need protection. But the European Union is paying for it. We're not paying anything for it. But we will send it, and it'll be good news for us, we will send them Patriots, which they desperately need."
The package follows several weeks of debate inside the Pentagon, where shipments of key munitions to Ukraine-including Patriot missile interceptors and 155 mm shells-were paused in early July following a review by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who warned of dwindling U.S. stockpiles. The reversal, authorized by President Trump, has already seen defensive weapons on their way to Ukraine.
Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell 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 new arms initiative was shaped in part by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who pressed for bolder U.S. and NATO support during a summit two weeks ago. U.S. and Ukrainian officials described a marked improvement in the relationship, with one U.S. official noting, "Zelensky came like a normal human being, not crazy, and was dressed like a somebody that should be at NATO. He had a group of people with him that also seemed not crazy. So they had a good conversation."
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Axios, "Trump is really pissed at Putin. His announcement tomorrow is going to be very aggressive."
Trump's patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin has worn thin, administration sources say. In a phone call on July 3, Putin reportedly warned Trump of a planned military escalation to seize Ukrainian territories over the next two months. "He wants to take all of it," Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron after the call, according to a source with direct knowledge.
Trump voiced his frustration publicly, saying, "Because Putin had really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice, and then he bombs everybody in the evening. It's a little bit of a problem there, I don't like it." He also told reporters, "I am very disappointed" in Putin for "saying he wanted peace and then escalating his attacks on Ukraine."
The latest package is structured so that "the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons [to Ukraine], and NATO is paying for those weapons," Trump explained last Thursday.
