Trump Complains About Putin and Weighs Sending Another Patriot System

On Monday, July 7, 2025, President Trump reversed Pentagon policy on freezing some weapons deliveries to Ukraine after conversations last week with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s President, before the Independence Day holiday. 

Here is an excerpt from CBS reporting.

"We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves," Mr. Trump told reporters during a White House event with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night.

The president said the shipments will consist of "defensive weapons, primarily," saying Ukraine is "getting hit very hard" and "so many people are dying in that mess."

"At President Trump's direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement later Monday night. "Our framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect and is integral to our America First defense priorities."

Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said the president has taken issue with Russia's strikes on Ukrainian cities.

On Tuesday, the President followed up in his cabinet meeting by stating his displeasure with Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President.

According to WSJ reporting, Trump responded to a question from a reporter, “We get a lot of bulls— thrown at us by Putin,” who is “very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

In addition, the WSJ wrote that two White House officials confirmed that President Trump is looking to send Ukraine another Patriot Air Defense System to strengthen the country against Russian attacks. The White House has requested that the Pentagon consider sending additional weapons systems to Ukraine, including Patriot systems.

If executed this would demonstrate a major change in tactics in the Trump Administration’s handling of the War in Ukraine as the Administration has not authorized any new weapons systems beyond what was approved by the Biden Administration. The Administration is also looking to field Patriot systems from other countries. Currently, Ukraine has seven Patriot Air Defense systems provided by the United States, Germany, and a European consortium.

President Trump is considering backing the Russia Sanctions Bill that has 84 co-sponsors in the Senate and 82 co-sponsors in the House but would like more discretion in implementation.    

The American Ukraine PAC welcomes these signals from President Trump to do more for Ukraine and thanks him. However, we would recommend the President follow the sage advice of the WSJ Editorial Board’s opinion on July 8, 2025 to do more:

“What matters is giving Ukraine enough firepower to change Mr. Putin’s cost-benefit calculation about continuing the war. That would include sending long-range fires, artillery shells, as well as the Patriot missiles Ukraine needs urgently to defend civilians and cities.

Republicans in Congress will back the President if he asks for more weapons, and they’ll support a new sanctions bill when it comes to a vote, as it soon should.”

President Trump, now that you have realized Vladimir Putin is not interested in negotiating for peace, it’s time to force him to accept peace through surrender.