Patriot missiles bound for Ukraine already being shipped, Trump says
Patriot air defense missiles bound for Ukraine are already en route, U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 16, days after unveiling a new NATO-coordinated arms scheme for Kyiv.
"They're already being shipped," Trump told reporters at the Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, when asked about Patriot missiles and other weaponry.
"They're coming in from Germany and then replaced by Germany. And in all cases, the United States gets paid back in full."
The announcement comes as Ukraine has been asking its allies, particularly the United States, for additional air defenses as Russia intensified its attacks on Ukrainian cities.
A German government spokesperson said on July 14 that the European allies are in talks about more than three Patriot systems for Ukraine.
Trump said the shipments are part of a new arrangement where NATO and European Union member states will purchase U.S.-made weapons systems, deliver some to Ukraine, and replace them through agreements with Washington.
"We're always getting our money back in full," Trump added. "In some cases, we're going to be paid back by countries of the European Union directly."
The new weapons shipments come two days after Trump issued an ultimatum to Moscow, warning that the U.S. will impose "severe" tariffs unless Russia agrees to a peace deal within 50 days to end its war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin earlier called the proposed tariffs "serious," saying Moscow needs time to analyze the message from Washington.
The U.S. president noted that he has not spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the U.S. announced fresh sanctions on Russia on July 14.
Trump's remarks reflect growing frustration with what he called Russia's unwillingness to advance peace talks. He has previously claimed he could end the war in 24 hours and continued to distance himself from the conflict, saying, "It wasn't my war. It was (former U.S. President Joe) Biden's war. I'm trying to get you out of it.”
"I'm disappointed in President Putin," he added. "I thought we would have had a deal two months ago, but it doesn’t seem to get there."
