'Very disappointed': Trump slams Putin, moves to send Ukraine weapons
“I am very disappointed with President Putin,” Trump said July 13. “I thought he was somebody that meant what he said."
President Donald Trump lashed out at Vladimir Putin ahead of a meeting with the secretary general of NATO, again venting his frustration with the Russian leader’s unwillingness to de-escalate in Ukraine.
“I am very disappointed with President Putin,” Trump said July 13 at Joint Base Andrews. “I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. And he’ll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don’t like that.”
Trump’s increasingly tough rhetoric against Putin comes as he moves to boost U.S. military support for Ukraine, telling reporters July 13 that he will send Patriot air defense missiles to the war-ravaged country that was invaded by Russia in 2022.
Trump said the European Union will reimburse the United States for the missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pressing Trump to allow his country to purchase Patriot missile air defense systems from the United States as Russia intensifies its missile and drone attacks. Shipments of the missile systems that were previously approved were paused by a Pentagon review of U.S. military stockpiles and then resumed last week by Trump.
While speaking to reporters after returning from the FIFA Club World Cup match in New Jersey, Trump said the United States would send Ukraine "sophisticated military" equipment. The plan was expected to be part of an Oval Office discussion at the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump’s amicable approach to Putin – he called him “very kind” just last month – has increasingly been laced with criticism as Russia continues to heavily bombard Ukrainian cities despite efforts by U.S. officials to reach a ceasefire.
With Putin pressing forward on the war effort, Trump has moved to help Ukraine with weapons and Congress is considering legislation that would increase sanctions on Russia.
Contributing: Francesca Chambers, Paste BN