Trump's White House Redirects Thousands Of Missiles Meant For Ukraine's Use, Zelenskyy Says
Donald Trump's administration has redirected 20,000 anti-drone missiles away from Ukraine, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian president told ABC News' This Week that the missiles are needed to deter Russia's ongoing strikes using Iranian-design Shahed drones.
Moscow has been ruthlessly attacking Ukraine from the skies throughout the war, but it has elevated its strikes recently.
On June 1, it launched its largest drone assault of the war with 472 strikes just in one night.
According to Zelenskyy, the Biden administration had already agreed to send Ukraine anti-drone technology before Trump's second term began.
Zelenskyy explained: 'We have a big problem with Shaheds... we will find all the tools to destroy them.
'We counted on this project – 20,000 missiles. Anti-Shahed missiles. It was not expensive, but it's a special technology.'
The Wall Street Journal first reported the diversion on June 4, after US defence secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly alerted Congress to the 'urgent' re-allocation of weaponry.
That report also came out the same day Trump spoke extensively to Vladimir Putin over the phone.
The weapons were instead sent to the American forces in the Middle East amid brewing fears of a possible US-Iran clash over their delayed nuclear deal and concerns over the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
But there are also Russia has not finished retaliating against Ukraine after its surprise 'Operation Spiderweb' attack on Russian airbases last week.
Reports say Russia is looking to launch more than 500 long-range drones per night in future attacks.
Under Trump, the White House has been far less consistent in its backing of Ukraine and often expressed sympathy with Putin over his ongoing land grab.
The US president has halted the approval of new military aid packages for Ukraine ever since he returned to office in January.
Hegseth also became the first US defence chief not to attend a Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting on June 4 since Putin's invasion began in February 2022.
In his bid to secure a quick resolution to the war, Trump briefly stopped military shipments going to Ukraine and refused to share intelligence with the beleaguered country until it agreed to a ceasefire framework in March.
Meanwhile, Trump has refused to impose sanctions on Russia, claiming it could disrupt its attempts to get a peace deal.
But Zelenskyy remains publicly optimistic that the American president is the only way for the war to end.
He said 'hard pressure' from Washington and its European allies would force Putin to be 'pragmatic'.
The Ukrainian president added: 'Then they will stop the war. I am convinced that the president of the United States has all the powers and enough leverage to step up.'
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