US says it will send Ukraine more weapons

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — U.S. Patriot missile batteries are seen in Poland on April 10, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Smith via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)

By Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON  -  U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States would send more weapons to Ukraine, primarily defensive ones, to  help the war-torn country defend itself against intensifying Russian advances.

Washington's decision to halt some weapons shipments to Kyiv prompted it to warn the move would crimp its ability to fend off Russia's air strikes and battlefield advances, while drawing criticism from Democrats and some of Trump’s fellow Republicans.

"We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves," Trump told reporters at the White House at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"They're getting hit very hard now," he added. "We're going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily."

In a statement the U.S. Defense Department later said it would send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine at Trump's direction, to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while efforts continue to secure a lasting peace.

The Pentagon said its initiative to evaluate military shipments around the world stayed in effect.     

On Friday, Trump had told reporters Ukraine would need Patriot missiles to defend itself, but he did not mention them again specifically on Monday. The Pentagon statement gave no details on the weapons to be shipped to Ukraine.

After a telephone call with Trump on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky" as Russian attacks escalated.

The leaders had discussed joint defense production, purchases and investments, he added.

Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.

Germany said it was in talks on buying Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine to bridge the gap.

 (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Andrea Shalal; Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Mike Stone in Washington and Christian Martinez; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Clarence Fernandez // REUTERS)