Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

United States President Donald Trump has said he will send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine as his administration signals growing disillusionment with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to negotiate an end to Moscow’s invasion.

“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday.“Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” Trump said.

“So, there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it.”

Trump said he had not decided on the number of Patriot batteries he would send to Ukraine, but “they’re going to have some because they do need protection”.

Trump’s comments come after he last week confirmed that his administration had decided to sell weapons to NATO allies in Europe for them to pass on to Kyiv.

Trump is set to meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte this week for discussions expected to focus on his plans to supply weapons to Kyiv.

Rutte’s trip to Washington, DC comes as Trump has teased that he will make a “major statement” on Russia on Monday.

On Sunday, Axios, citing two unnamed sources, reported that Trump’s announcement would include “offensive weapons” for Ukraine.