This is reported by Kyiv24
The United States Department of Defense has announced the shipment of additional weapons to Ukraine. This decision was made at the direction of President Donald Trump, as emphasized by senior Pentagon spokesperson Shin Parnell.
“At the direction of President Trump, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine so that the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and end the killings.”
Weapons Supply and Allies’ Response
The Pentagon stressed that the assessment system for military supplies worldwide for the US President remains relevant and is a key component of the defense strategy, which is based on the principle of ‘America First’.
Previously, during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump assured that Washington is ready to provide Ukraine with a larger quantity of weapons, focusing on defensive means:
“They need to be able to defend themselves. They are under very heavy attack, so we need to provide more weapons. Primarily defensive weapons.”
It is worth noting that last week the United States announced a temporary suspension of some military supplies to Ukraine due to concerns about depleting its own military stockpiles. Washington did not specify which types of weapons were affected by the cuts.
Details of Suspended Supplies and Allies’ Position
According to media reports, this involves the suspension of the shipment of dozens of interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense systems, portable Stinger surface-to-air missile systems, precision-guided artillery shells, over a hundred Hellfire missiles, and AIM-class missiles.
This decision by the US has raised concerns among European partners. According to Bloomberg, European officials were “stunned” by this move. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that Ukraine will not be able to cope without the support of partners, primarily the US, in the near future. He noted that the United States must take care of its own stockpiles, but at the same time, a balance needs to be found on this issue. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak expressed regret over the US decision, stressing that support for Ukraine is crucial for Poland’s security.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin claims that the reduction of Western aid to Ukraine could accelerate the conclusion of the so-called “special military operation” – the term officially used in Russia to refer to the war against Ukraine.
Amidst the intensification of Russian air attacks, Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly called on Western allies to increase the supply of air defense systems. Last week, during the concluding press conference of the NATO summit in The Hague, President Donald Trump stated that the US is considering providing Ukraine with additional Patriot systems.