Trump Approves Defensive Weapons for Ukraine, Criticizes Putin's Actions

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump revealed that he had given the green light for the United States to supply defensive weapons to Ukraine, highlighting his growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the rising casualties from the conflict. Despite promising during his campaign to resolve the war swiftly, Trump's efforts to negotiate peace have not yielded the desired results.

During a meeting with his cabinet at the White House, Trump openly criticized Putin, stating, “I’m not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now,” while acknowledging the tragic loss of life among both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers. He described the situation as filled with “bullshit” from Putin, characterizing the Russian president's kindness as ultimately meaningless.

Additionally, Trump mentioned that he was weighing support for a Senate bill aiming to impose hefty sanctions on Russia in light of the ongoing war. He indicated that he was seriously considering the proposal, which is backed by Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal, and would impose significant tariffs on countries that engage in trade with Russia, especially regarding oil, gas, and uranium.

On Monday, Trump had already conveyed that more defensive weaponry would be shipped to Ukraine as part of efforts to bolster the country's defense capabilities against Russian military actions. Following this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans to increase cooperation with the United States to secure crucial military supplies, particularly in air defense.

Concerns arose last week after the Pentagon decided to halt certain critical shipments of weapons to Ukraine, leading to alarm from Kyiv about the potential impact on their defense capabilities against intensified Russian attacks. When questioned about who had ordered this pause, Trump replied with uncertainty, deflecting the question back to the journalist asking it.