Trump Confirms Arms For Ukraine U-Turn Days After Pentagon Halts Delivery
Another drastic foreign policy U-turn by the Trump administration, after just a week ago some weapons shipments to Ukraine were halted - and now it's back ON apparently...
President Trump first unveiled Monday after last week's 'disappointing' phone call with President Putin, for which the US leader was "very unhappy", that he would send “more weapons” to Ukraine.
"We’re gonna send some more weapons we have to them. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now," Trump said, alongside a US and Israeli delegation, on the day Prime Minister Netanyahu visited the White House.
Last Thursday night saw what was likely a record aerial attack on Ukraine which lasted for seven hours. Trump has said the US would send "defensive weapons primarily." He remarked: "So many people are dying in that mess."
Ukraine's President Zelensky has tallied that last week Russia launched around 1,270 drones and 39 missiles in total at Ukraine, doing serious damage in many places, including the capital area. The Ukrainian government reacted Tuesday by seeking clarify on the sudden policy shift from the White House:
The ministry of defense in Kyiv said in a statement on Tuesday that it had not received official notification of the change in policy and it was “critically important” for Ukraine to maintain “stability, continuity and predictability” in the provision of arms, especially air defense systems.
The statement added: "We are grateful to the United States for all its support and highly appreciate the efforts of American partners aimed at achieving genuine peace."
Adding insult to injury for much of Trump's base, which has long supported his efforts to disentangle America from Kiev - and stop sending the Ukrainians billions in taxpayers' money - the Department of Defense is actually touting this move as in keeping with 'America First'.
"Our framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect and is integral to our America First defense priorities," the Pentagon said in a new press release.
Here is the White House merely one week ago:
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CBS News that in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war the "decision was made to put America's interests first following" a Defense Department "review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe."
What actually changed? It remains that the simplest way to wind down this tragic war is for Zelensky to agree to territorial concessions, but he won't even so much as budge on recognizing Crimea, and it looks like Washington is certainly not trying to convince or pressure him at this point. Zelensky will continue gladly taking his arms handouts from Uncle Sam without willingness to make compromise at the negotiating table. The war, and horrific killing, will go on with no end in sight.
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