In a significant policy shift, U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to send "Patriot" surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine, citing the need for enhanced defense against Russian air attacks. The funding for these weapons will reportedly come from the European Union, as Trump emphasizes that the U.S. will not incur costs.

Trump to Send "Patriot" Missiles After All

The United States will now deliver urgently needed "Patriot" defense missiles to Ukraine. This was announced by the U.S. President overnight. According to Trump, the weapons will be paid for by the European Union.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the delivery of "Patriot" surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine. "We will send them 'Patriots,' which they urgently need," Trump said. However, he did not specify how many systems he would send when speaking to reporters at Andrews Air Force Base. But he stated that there would be several.

The weapons are to be funded by the EU: "The people in Ukraine need the protection of 'Patriots,' but the European Union will pay for it. We are paying nothing," Trump stated. It is a business deal. Regarding an upcoming meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump remarked that the defense alliance will purchase U.S. military technology: "We will basically send them various parts of advanced military equipment, and they will pay us 100 percent for it." Trump intends to meet with Rutte this week to discuss Ukraine and other topics.

Defense System Urgently Needed

Ukraine has asked the U.S. to sell it more "Patriot" missiles and systems, which it considers crucial for defending its cities against Russian air attacks.

Since the beginning of the month, Russia has intensified its attacks—especially on cities in Ukraine. On July 4, President Zelensky spoke of the most severe attacks since the war began—reportedly involving around 540 drones deployed by the Russian military. Since then, there have been several waves of Russian attacks with hundreds of drones. Over the weekend, there were again several fatalities and more than ten injuries due to Russian attacks.

Germany Involved in "Patriot" Delivery

The "Patriots" mentioned by Trump could refer to the systems that were previously mentioned at the reconstruction conference in Rome last Thursday. Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly stated there that Germany would purchase "Patriot" air defense systems from the U.S. to send them to Ukraine. There may be two systems involved, with another potentially funded by Norway. So far, Ukraine has received three "Patriot" systems from Bundeswehr stocks in Germany.

Trump initially suspended arms deliveries to Ukraine but then reversed that decision. Last Monday, he announced additional arms deliveries to Ukraine, although he did not provide details.

Far from Campaign Promises

The United States is one of Ukraine's largest supporters since the war began when Democrat Joe Biden was still President. Even under his successor Trump, they remained the primary arms supplier. However, after Trump's reelection to the White House in January, the U.S. drew closer to Russia, among other things through the initiation of direct talks between representatives.

Trump has changed his stance on the warring parties multiple times over the past months. At times, experts believe he adopted the Russian perspective, abruptly confronting the Ukrainian president in front of cameras at the White House. However, Trump has also expressed criticism of Putin on several occasions.

During the campaign, Trump actually promised to end the war immediately upon taking office. Five months have now passed, and the war continues with unabated intensity.