US President Donald Trump said on Monday (local time) that the United States will need to send more weapons to Ukraine, just days after ordering a pause in critical arms shipments to Kyiv.“We are going to send some more weapons (to Ukraine)…They have to be able to defend themselves. They are getting hit very hard…So many people are dying in that mess”, he said.Speaking to reporters about additional weapons deliveries for Ukraine, he said, “We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves.”His comments marked an apparent change in position after the Pentagon last week announced it would hold back deliveries of air defence missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons over concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much.The sudden pause in shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided rockets, Hellfire missiles, Howitzer rounds and other weapons surprised Ukrainian officials and allies. The pause came at a challenging time for Ukraine, which is facing frequent air attacks from Russia in more than three-year-old war.Trump has said he is determined to end the conflict quickly, a promise he made during his presidential campaign. On Monday evening, at a White House dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I’m not happy with President Putin at all,” Trump said.
Continued Russian attacks:
Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others on Monday, including seven children, Ukrainian officials said.Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 100 drones at civilian targets overnight. Over the past week alone, Russia has fired around 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and nearly 1,000 powerful glide bombs at Ukraine.Ukraine’s Army Command said Russian drones also targeted military mobilization centres for the third time in five days, in an apparent attempt to disrupt recruitment.
Ukraine calls for more aid:
Ukraine has urged the United States and Europe to send more military support, especially after the sudden halt of promised US shipments.White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Monday the pause was part of a “standard review of all weapons and all aid” provided to all countries.Leavitt said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the global review of weapons and aid to ensure that “everything that’s going out the door aligns with America’s interests.”President Zelenskyy said Ukraine had signed new deals with European allies and a leading US defence company to ramp up drone production, aiming to secure “hundreds of thousands” more drones this year.“Air defense is the main thing for protecting life,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday. That includes developing and manufacturing interceptor drones that can stop Russia’s long-range Shahed drones, he said.
