In a notable shift from his previously ambiguous stance on continued military support for Ukraine, US President and 2024 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump confirmed plans to send Patriot air defense systems to the embattled Eastern European nation. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on the evening of July 13, Trump cited recent Russian airstrikes as justification for the move and framed the delivery of missile defense systems as a matter of strategic necessity and economic opportunity.

Trump’s remarks were characteristically direct and delivered in a tone of both frustration and assertiveness. “We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” he stated, referencing the US-made surface-to-air missile system that is regarded as one of the most advanced air defense platforms in the world. The president underscored the urgency of the situation by describing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military behavior as duplicitous.

“[Putin] talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening,” Trump said, expressing visible displeasure with the Russian president’s conduct. “But there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it.”

The announcement follows media reports that Trump is weighing a broader military assistance package for Ukraine that may include both defensive and offensive missile systems. However, Trump was careful to differentiate this new support from the kind of open-ended financial and military aid packages seen under the Biden administration. He stressed that this would be a “business” arrangement rather than an act of charity.

Trump declined to confirm exactly how many Patriot systems or how much ammunition would be included in the shipment. “They........

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