US to send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine: Trump

(AFP): President Donald Trump on Sunday said Washington would send Patriot air defence systems to Kyiv and hinted at new sanctions on Russia, once again voicing displeasure with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

The US president's announcement of the much-needed weapons for Ukraine came after he earlier said he would make a "major statement... on Russia" on Monday.

The announcement could come amid a diplomatic flurry set for Monday, with the US special envoy starting his latest trip to Ukraine and Trump set to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington.

Moscow's offensive on Ukraine has lasted for more than three years, with attacks intensifying this summer and US-led negotiations so far yielding no results to end the fighting.

"We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need," Trump said Sunday, without specifying how many weapons he would send to Ukraine.

"I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection," he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, as he returned from watching the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.

The White House has U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, instead announcing a new deal which would involve NATO paying the United States for some of the weapons it sends to Ukraine.

"We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they're going to pay us 100% for them," Trump said.

"It'll be business for us," he added.

Rutte's 10:00am (1400 GMT) Oval Office meeting will be closed to media, and he is slated to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well.

Earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was "close to reaching a multi-level agreement on new Patriot systems and missiles for them."

Trump also repeated that he was "disappointed" in Putin, as he grows increasingly exasperated with the Russian leader.

"Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening," said the disgruntled Trump on Sunday.

Last week, Trump accused Putin throwing "bullshit" at Washington on Ukraine — openly frustrated with the seeming impasse.

When he first returned to the White House in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war, holding off on hiking sanctions unlike European allies.

But Russia has for months refused a ceasefire proposed by the United States and Kyiv.

Trump has repeatedly voiced displeasure with Putin in recent days, and on Sunday hinted he might finally be ready to toughen sanctions as momentum grows for a deterrent package in Congress.

When asked about whether he would announce any sanctions against Russia, Trump responded: "We're going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?" and repeated plans to meet with Rutte.

'Sledgehammer'

Earlier on Sunday, US senators touted a bipartisan bill that would arm Trump with "sledgehammer" sanctions to use against Russia.

A launcher of a Patriot air defence system of the Ukrainian Air Forces is seen on the ground, amid Russias attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine August 4, 2024. — Reuters

A launcher of a Patriot air defence system of the Ukrainian Air Forces is seen on the ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine August 4, 2024. — Reuters

The sanctions bill would allow Trump "to go after Putin's economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told broadcaster CBS news.

It "would give President Trump the ability to impose 500% tariffs on any country that helps Russia," said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil.

"This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war," said Graham.

"Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty," Zelensky said about the proposed bill in an X post.

Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were also due to meet NATO's Rutte on Monday night.

Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.

"The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it's time to do it," said Blumenthal.