US to send more weapons to Ukraine, says Trump days after announcing pause

The Pentagon had earlier suspended deliveries of certain air-defence missiles and artillery shells to Ukraine, following concerns over the dwindling US stockpile

US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) announced that Washington will be sending more weapons to Ukraine, days after he ordered a pause in critical weapon deliveries to Kyiv, Associated Press reported.

 

Trump’s change in stance came as he hosted Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Speaking to journalists, Trump said, “We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now.”

 

Previously, the Pentagon stopped supply of some air-defence missiles and artillery shells to Ukraine. The decision to pause arm shipments came after concerns were raised over the depleting stockpile of the US.

 

 

This comes as the Russia-Ukraine war has entered its fourth year with no end in sight. On Monday, the Russian troops’ attack on Ukraine killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others, including seven children, the report said, citing officials.

 

Trump did not specify what the US would provide to Kyiv, except that the armaments would be “defence weapons primarily”. In a statement, Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for the Defense Department, said that the military assistance to Ukraine would help to ensure that the Ukrainians can defend themselves while they work to secure a lasting peace.

 

Trump’s decision to lift the pause is likely to bring some relief for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke to Trump on July 3 to get the delivery suspension lifted. Trump, on several occasions, has tried to broker a truce between Russia and Ukraine, which has only failed so far. 

 

US' depleting stockpiles 

According to a Bloomberg report, the Pentagon, while backing the pause, said that Washington needed to review its stockpile, while simultaneously weighing the need to save these weapons for other threats.

 

The Pentagon also noted that while these stockpile numbers are classified, the weapons that Kyiv needs are not required urgently elsewhere, adding that there is no immediate need to deny those weapons to the country, which are already on their way.

 

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump told Zelenskyy that the stockpile review of Pentagon armaments was being done after the US launched an attack on Iran last month.

 

Russia intensifies attack on Ukraine 

Reports suggest that Russia has recently intensified its airstrikes on civilian areas as the war entered its fourth year in February this year. Last week, Russia launched nearly 1,270 drones, 39 missiles, and almost 1,000 powerful glide bombs at Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.