U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration will be sending additional arms to Ukraine, emphasizing the urgent need for defensive support.
“We’re going to send more weapons—we have to,” Trump said during a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Defensive weapons, mostly. They’re getting hit really hard.”
Trump stressed the gravity of the situation in Ukraine, stating, “They have to be able to defend themselves. So many people are dying in that mess.”
This pledge comes on the heels of the Pentagon’s recent decision to pause some arms shipments to Kyiv, reportedly over concerns that U.S. military stockpiles are becoming dangerously low.
White House officials sought to distance the President from the temporary halt, clarifying Monday that the pause had “nothing to do with” Trump personally. They described it instead as part of a “routine review of existing weaponry,” despite the timing coinciding with renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
“This is simply a pause for review—to make sure that everything the Pentagon is forwarding is in line with the best interests of our military and service members,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing on Monday.
She noted that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, upon assuming office, had directed the Pentagon to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure that all outgoing military aid serves American strategic interests.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources informed Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent that President Trump had recently consulted his senior advisers on ways to accelerate the delivery of air defense systems to Ukraine. The inquiry reportedly followed a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday morning.
While the White House has not released details of the conversation, Trump described the call as “strategic” but offered no specifics.
On Monday, Trump again voiced frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing the continued lack of progress toward ending the war. The two leaders last spoke by phone on Thursday.
“I’m disappointed, frankly, that President Putin hasn’t stopped. I’m not happy about it either,” President Trump told reporters, expressing discontent over Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine.
Trump’s remarks on Monday appeared to signal a shift in tone following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision last week to temporarily pause arms shipments. The renewed commitment to Ukraine was met with strong approval from pro-Ukraine Republicans.
“This is exactly the right move, especially after Putin continues to bomb Ukrainian cities every night,” said Congressman Don Bacon in a social media post. “Putin needs to be shown that he cannot win,” he added.
However, for transatlantic observers like Scott Cullinane, co-founder of the US-Europe Alliance, the internal divisions within the Trump administration are becoming more evident.
“This situation has exposed the kind of policy disagreements the interagency process is supposed to smooth over,” Cullinane said. “There is a clear lack of unity in the Trump administration—and in the wider MAGA movement—when it comes to foreign policy. That tension is especially visible in the case of Ukraine,” he told the Kyiv Post.
For security analysts like Colby Badhwar of Tochnyi, a defense research group, Trump’s next steps remain uncertain. However, fulfilling the commitments previously made by former President Joe Biden would be “a solid starting point,” he said.
“I’d be surprised if Trump made any new pledges right now,” Badhwar told the Kyiv Post. “But Germany is looking to purchase two additional Patriot missile batteries—and their munitions—on Ukraine’s behalf. Approving that deal would be a major positive step.”
A lasting peace
Later on Monday, the Pentagon issued a statement noting that, at Trump’s direction, it was 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,” as Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell put it.
“Our framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect and is integral to our America First defense priorities,” Parnell noted.
The US has so far provided Ukraine with over $66 billion worth of weapons and military assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Several senior Trump officials, including cabinet members, have repeatedly urged US allies to supply air defense systems, particularly Patriot missile batteries.
Trump, who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during last month’s NATO summit, acknowledged Kyiv’s appeal for more Patriot missile systems.
“They’re asking for anti-missile missiles—Patriots, as they call them,” Trump said. “We’ll see if we can spare some. We need them, too. We’re also sending them to Israel, and they’re incredibly effective. It’s almost hard to believe how effective they are,” he added.
