U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, July 13, announced that Washington will supply Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine and hinted at new sanctions against Russia—once again voicing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the prolonged war in Ukraine.
The announcement came shortly after Trump teased a “major statement… on Russia,” expected Monday. The timing coincides with a flurry of diplomatic activity: the U.S. special envoy is heading to Kyiv, while Trump is scheduled to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington.
Now in its fourth year, Russia’s war in Ukraine has intensified over the summer, with Moscow ramping up airstrikes while U.S.-led diplomatic efforts continue to stall.
“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after returning from the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey. “I haven’t agreed on the number yet, but they’re going to have some because they do need protection.”
The White House’s move marks a reversal from its earlier decision this month to pause certain weapons shipments to Kyiv. Under the new plan, NATO will cover part of the cost by paying the U.S. directly.
“We’re basically going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military [equipment], and they’re going to pay us 100 percent,” Trump said. “It’ll be business for us.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently confirmed Kyiv is “close to reaching a multi-level agreement on new Patriot systems and missiles.”
Meanwhile, Trump again expressed disappointment with Putin:
“Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” he said, visibly frustrated.
Upon returning to the White House in January, Trump had expressed hope for cooperating with Putin to end the conflict and initially resisted tougher sanctions—unlike many of America’s European allies. But Russia has repeatedly rejected U.S.-supported ceasefire proposals.
Now, momentum is building in Congress for stricter measures. When asked Sunday about possible new sanctions, Trump replied, “We’re going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?”—referring to his upcoming meeting with NATO’s Rutte.
Earlier in the day, U.S. senators unveiled a bipartisan bill that would grant Trump sweeping powers to impose harsh sanctions on Russia.
“This would give President Trump the authority to slap 500 percent tariffs on any country helping Russia,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on CBS News, pointing to potential targets like China, India, and Brazil. “It’s truly a sledgehammer President Trump can use to end this war.”
Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who are both scheduled to meet Rutte on Monday, also confirmed that the bill would allow the U.S. to seize frozen Russian assets in Europe and America to support Ukraine.
“The $5 billion the United States has could also be accessed, and I think it’s time to do it,” Blumenthal said.
President Zelensky welcomed the proposal on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty.”
