CNN
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President Donald Trump said Monday he plans to send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine after his administration paused certain shipments last week.
“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to – they have to be able to defend themselves,” Trump said ahead of a dinner with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.
“They’re getting hit very hard. We’re going to have to send more weapons,” Trump added. “Defensive weapons, primarily, but they’re getting hit very, very hard.”
The president’s latest remarks come after a senior White House official told CNN last week the Trump administration was pausing some weapons shipments to Ukraine, including air defense missiles. The decision came after a review of military spending and American support to foreign countries that was signed off by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said at the time that the decision was made “to put America’s interests first.”
Some US officials insinuated the review of aid to Ukraine was related in part to the Pentagon’s push to focus on China and be prepared for potential future conflict in the Pacific – an issue prioritized by the Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby.
“The Department of Defense continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end. At the same time, the Department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving US forces’ readiness for Administration defense priorities,” Colby said in a statement at the time of the pause.
Russia welcomed the halt in certain shipments to Ukraine, claiming – without providing any evidence – it was made because the US did not have enough weapons.
“At President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defense will send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Monday. “Our framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect and is integral to our America First defense priorities.”
The US has been the biggest single donor of military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, supplying Ukraine with air defense systems, drones, rocket launchers, radars, tanks and anti-armor weapons, leading to concerns over dwindling US stockpiles.
Trump previously halted all shipments of military aid to Ukraine in March following a heated Oval Office argument with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump resumed aid flows to Ukraine about a week later.
The decision to send additional weapons also comes after Trump spoke separately last week with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky. He said afterward his talk with Putin was disappointing and there was “no progress” towards a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Zelensky in recent weeks has been pleading with Western allies to bolster his nation’s aerial defenses after intensifying Russian airborne attacks. Russia launched a record number of drones at Ukraine overnight on Friday, just hours after the Trump-Putin phone call.
Trump later Friday said the US was considering Ukraine’s request for more Patriot defense systems after a “very good” phone call with Zelensky. The Ukrainian president said on Saturday that latest conversation with Trump was the best and “most productive” he has had.
Trump on Monday reaffirmed his displeasure with the Russian leader, saying: “I’m not happy with President Putin at all.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.
