WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as he announced new U.S. military support for Ukraine, underscoring his growing frustration with the deepening war and the mounting death toll on both sides.
Speaking at the White House alongside top cabinet officials, Trump said he had approved the shipment of additional defensive weapons to Ukraine and was considering backing a Senate bill that would impose sweeping sanctions on Moscow, including punishing other countries that trade with Russia.
“I’m not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now,” Trump told reporters. “Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are dying in the thousands. We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
The president’s comments came as Ukraine warned that a recent decision by the Pentagon to halt certain shipments of military equipment had undermined its ability to repel Russian attacks. Trump, seated next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said he did not know who ordered the pause. “Why don’t you tell me?” he quipped when pressed by a reporter.
The president reiterated that the United States would send more weapons, describing them as primarily defensive systems meant to help Ukraine stave off intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances. “They’re getting hit very hard now,” he said Monday during a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We’re going to have to send more weapons.”
The Defense Department confirmed it would ship additional arms at Trump’s direction while continuing an initiative to review military supplies worldwide. Details of the specific weapons packages were not released, but Ukrainian officials have repeatedly pleaded for more Patriot missile systems to defend major cities from Russian bombardment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had instructed officials to accelerate coordination with Washington to secure critical air defense supplies. “These are deliveries that mean saving lives and protecting Ukrainian cities and villages,” Zelensky said in a statement Tuesday. “I expect results very soon.”
Zelensky also renewed his calls for tougher sanctions against Russia, arguing that further economic pressure is necessary to push the Kremlin toward a ceasefire. The Senate legislation Trump is weighing, authored by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, would impose steep penalties on Russian oil, gas and other exports, along with 500% tariffs on nations that continue trade with Moscow.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the war quickly. But despite multiple rounds of talks and proposals for ceasefires, his administration has so far failed to deliver a lasting peace.
The Pentagon has said it continues to assess Ukraine’s defense needs, while Germany has announced talks to buy Patriot air defense systems to bolster Ukraine’s depleted stockpiles.
As the war in Ukraine grinds into its fourth year, the president’s blunt rebuke of Putin and renewed commitment to military aid signal Washington’s deepening involvement, despite Trump’s early promises to extricate the United States from foreign entanglements.
Reuters
