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Last Updated:July 08, 2025, 07:59 IST
Trump earlier said Ukraine would need Patriot missiles to defend itself from escalating Russian airstrikes after a call with Zelenskyy, although he did not mention them on Monday.

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Reuters Image)
US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that his country will send more weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against relentless Russian aggression, saying Kyiv needed to be able to defend itself.
Speaking to reporters in the White House, Trump said, “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now. They’re getting hit very hard."
“We’re going to have to send more weapons, yeah, defensive weapons, primarily. But they’re getting hit very, very hard. So many people are dying in that mess."
On Friday, Trump had said that Ukraine would need Patriot missiles to defend itself, but did not mention them again specifically on Monday. His remarks at the time had come after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said Russian attacks had escalated.
Ukraine has been seeking more Patriot missiles from the US to defend its cities from intensifying Russian airstrikes. Under former President Joe Biden, the US committed to providing more than $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.
However, Trump and other Republicans – who had long been sceptical of assistance for Ukraine – had announced no new military packages for Kyiv since the new administration was formed in January.
A decision by the Trump administration to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine had earlier prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s air strikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine to bridge the gap.
On Monday, Russia claimed it captured its first village in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region after grinding towards the border for months, dealing a major psychological blow to Kyiv.
Russia also launched a fresh large-scale drone and missile barrage before the announcement, including on Ukraine’s army recruitment centres, as part of an escalating series of attacks that come as ceasefire talks led by the United States have stalled.
At least four people were killed and dozens wounded across Ukraine in an overnight attack, mostly in the Kharkiv region bordering Russia and in a late-morning attack on the industrial city of Zaporizhzhia.
(with inputs from agencies)
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...
Read More
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Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
- First Published:
News world 'They're Getting Hit Very Hard': Trump Says US Will Send More Weapons To Ukraine