Trump says U.S. will 'have to' send Ukraine more weapons so it can defend itself

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jul 07, 2025 9:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 8

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that his state volition person to nonstop much weapons to Ukraine truthful that it tin support itself.

The comments by Trump appeared to beryllium an abrupt alteration successful posture aft the Pentagon announced past week that it would clasp backmost delivering to Ukraine immoderate aerial defence missiles, precision-guided artillery and different weapons because of what U.S. officials said were concerns that stockpiles person declined excessively much.

"We person to," Trump told reporters astir further weapons deliveries for Ukraine. "They person to beryllium capable to support themselves. They're getting deed precise hard now. We're going to nonstop immoderate much weapons — defensive weapons primarily."

Meanwhile, Russian attacks connected Ukraine killed astatine slightest 11 civilians and injured much than 80 others, including 7 children, officials said Monday.

The determination to abruptly intermission shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided rockets, Hellfire missiles and Howitzer rounds and weaponry took Ukrainian officials and different allies by surprise. And it came at a hard infinitesimal for Ukraine, which has faced increasing, and much complex, aerial barrages from Russia.

The Pentagon did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected whether the paused weapons shipments to Ukraine would resume.

Trump, speaking astatine the commencement of a meal helium was hosting for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu astatine the White House connected Monday evening, vented his increasing vexation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has struggled to find a solution to the the brutal war, which he'd claimed arsenic a statesmanlike campaigner that helium could extremity wrong 24 hours.

Trump has threatened, but held disconnected on, imposing caller sanctions against Russia's lipid manufacture to effort to prod Putin into bid talks.

"I'm not blessed with President Putin astatine all," helium said.

Russia launched its full-scale of penetration of neighbouring Ukraine successful February 2022. The 2 countries person been successful a authorities of all-out warfare ever since.

The strain of 3 years of war

Russia fired much than 100 drones astatine civilian areas of Ukraine overnight, authorities said. Russia precocious has intensified its airstrikes connected civilian areas aft much than 3 years of war.

WATCH | What does Putin want? 

In the past week, Russia launched immoderate 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and astir 1,000 almighty glide bombs astatine Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.

Russia's bigger service is besides trying hard to interruption done astatine immoderate points on the astir 1,000-kilometre front line, wherever Ukrainian forces are severely stretched.

The strain of keeping Russia's penetration astatine bay, the deficiency of advancement successful nonstop bid talks, and past week's halt of immoderate promised U.S. weapons shipments person compelled Ukraine to question much subject assistance from the U.S. and Europe.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said earlier Monday that the intermission successful weapons to Ukraine came arsenic portion of a "standard reappraisal of each weapons and each aid" that the U.S. is providing astir the world. "Not conscionable Ukraine."

Leavitt said U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the planetary reappraisal of weapons and assistance to guarantee that "everything that's going retired the doorway aligns with America's interests."

Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukraine had signed deals with European allies and a starring U.S. defence institution to measurement up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives "hundreds of thousands" much this year.

"Air defence is the main happening for protecting life," Zelenskyy wrote connected Telegram connected Monday.

That includes processing and manufacturing interceptor drones that tin halt Russia's long-range Shahed drones, helium said.

Drones person been lethal threats to some Ukrainian civilians and soldiers implicit the people of the war, but Ukraine has besides wielded its ain service of drones to onslaught targets on the beforehand enactment and besides heavy into Russian territory.