Trump attacks Putin once more as he supports Ukraine’s acquisition of more weaponry.

President Donald Trump of the United States brushed aside the Pentagon’s earlier halt to express his disapproval of Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine and to confirm that he is sending more defensive weapons to the administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “We’re sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine because he’s killing too many people, and I’ve approved it.” He expressed his displeasure with Putin earlier in the discussion, claiming that the Russian leader is “killing a lot of people.”

Trump criticized Putin for his failure to pursue a ceasefire in Ukraine, a notion Zelenskyy has supported, for the second time in less than 24 hours. Trump has retracted his pre-election assertions that he could put an end to the conflict in a day. Trump stated during the Cabinet meeting that he is also “very strongly” considering a bill that has been proposed in the Senate that would place harsh sanctions on Russia and nations who buy its uranium, natural gas, oil, and petroleum products. He referred to the bill as “optional.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham expressed his expectation that the Senate leadership would make a statement this week regarding the sanctions measure. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, told reporters Tuesday, “I think it’s the best chance to get Putin to the table with the weapons flowing, this bill passing, and the Europeans having a sanctions package.” He claimed that by including waivers that give Trump more latitude, the most recent version had a higher chance of passing both chambers of Congress.

 

We’re going to move because President Trump told me it was time to do so, it has a waiver, and he’s excellent,” Graham continued. At the beginning of a luncheon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Trump expressed his disappointment that Putin had not ceased his war. Trump has expressed his growing annoyance with Putin as a result of Russia bombarding Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with record numbers of drone and missile attacks in recent weeks.

After publicly praising the Russian leader in the past, the remarks imply that Trump is growing impatient with him. That’s excellent news for Zelenskyy, who at first took the brunt of Trump’s anger for the war, despite the fact that Putin was behind the 2022 invasion. Trump stated during the Netanyahu dinner that he intended to provide Ukraine additional weaponry.

The Pentagon is now in a difficult situation as a result. It said it needed to evaluate its stockpiles and ordered a halt to the supply of artillery rounds, air defense missiles, and other equipment last week. In response to Trump’s remarks, however, the Pentagon “will send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace,” according to spokesman Sean Parnell, who made the announcement Monday night.

Many of Trump’s staunchest supporters, like former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, have endorsed the planned sanctions. The bill “will send a big signal to Putin that talking and killing is a losing strategy,” he wrote in a post on X.