Trump Reverses Course, Vows More Weapons for Ukraine Amid Escalating Russian Attacks
by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States will resume and expand military support to Ukraine, signaling a sharp shift in policy just days after a Pentagon-ordered pause in weapons shipments had drawn concern from Kyiv and allies in Europe.
“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to,” Trump told reporters at the White House during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now.”
The announcement comes amid an intense new wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine, including a deadly overnight drone barrage that killed at least 11 civilians and wounded more than 80 others — including seven children — in cities such as Kharkiv, Odesa, Kyiv, and Sumy.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the shift, stating, “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.”
Though neither the White House nor the Pentagon released specifics, defense officials told The Wall Street Journal that the previously frozen aid package includes Patriot missile interceptors, AIM-120 air-defense missiles, precision-guided howitzer rounds, GMLRS rockets, Stinger antitank systems, Hellfire missiles, and grenade launchers.
The reversal follows a week of confusion after the Department of Defense had halted the delivery of critical munitions due to concerns about depleted U.S. stockpiles. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the pause was part of a broader review initiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure U.S. national security needs were not compromised.
In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 4, Trump clarified that he had ordered only a review, not a total freeze, and committed to send “as much military aid as the U.S. can spare.” Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s urgent need for more Patriot air defense systems in his nightly video address on July 7, citing Russia’s relentless drone and missile attacks.
“Air defense is the main thing for protecting life,” Zelenskyy said Monday. “We are working with partners to ensure production in their countries operates at full capacity — both for our shared defense today and for partners’ arsenals after the war.”
Russia’s recent assault on Ukraine has intensified, with over 1,200 drones, 39 missiles, and nearly 1,000 glide bombs launched in the past week, according to Ukrainian military officials. Monday’s attacks alone damaged multiple civilian zones and recruitment centers, with Kyiv reporting strikes in 13 separate regions.
Despite his longstanding criticism of previous U.S. involvement in the Ukraine war, Trump has grown visibly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I’m not happy with President Putin at all,” Trump said Monday, while leaving open the possibility of future sanctions against Russia’s oil exports to pressure Moscow into negotiations.
Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) confirmed that Trump had given him the green light to advance legislation imposing steep tariffs on imports from nations still purchasing Russian oil, such as China and India.
Trump continues to advocate for a diplomatic resolution but now appears willing to use both hard power and economic leverage. “We are working toward peace,” he said Monday, “but peace only comes when the aggressor knows they cannot win.”
Latest Worthy News
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.