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Why Trump changed his mind about weapons to Ukraine
The US has once again decided to supply weapons to Ukraine.
This came after President Donald Trump changed his mind.
Trump on Tuesday also took aim at Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
'We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth', Trump was quoted as saying. 'We're not happy with Putin. I'm not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now, because he's killing a lot of people.'
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Trump added that Putin was 'killing too many people, so we're sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine… They have to be able to defend themselves… So many people are dying in that mess'.
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But what happened? Why did Trump change his mind?
Let's take a closer look:
**What happened
**
Trump has agreed to send 10 Patriot missile systems to Ukraine.
The Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target (Patriot) is a long-range, all-altitude, all-weather air defence system.
Produced by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, it is used to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft.
A Pentagon spokesman was quoted as saying 'at President Trump's direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.'
The development comes after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a call on Friday.
Trump is said to have told Zelensky that the US needed to review its own stockpiles.
It also came after the White House last week announced it had paused giving weapons to Ukraine.
Surface-to-air missile launchers of the Patriot (Wisla) system newly added into the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) at an army base in Sochaczew, Poland. File image/Reuters
The White House at the time said this was due to the Pentagon being worried about US supplies stockpiles were low.
However, this has been disputed by the senior officials in the Pentagon.
The original decision to supply weapons to Ukraine was made by the Biden administration last year and a bill was passed by Congress for the same.
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Zelensky and Trump had a disastrous meeting at the White House in February when US Vice-President JD Vance claimed Ukraine was 'ungrateful.'
Why Trump changed his mind
Trump is seemingly frustrated with his inability to corral Putin. Trump, remember, had vowed to end the Ukraine war quickly upon coming to office.
He had promised to do so within 24 to 48 hours. That clearly hasn't happened. It seems that Trump is now reaching his breaking point with Russia's leader.
Sources told CNN that Defence Secretary Pete Secretary did not loop in the White House before shipments were paused.
It has been reported that the original decision came from deputy defence secretary Stephen Feinberg which was then seconded by Hegseth.
There are reports that Trump asked for a review of US stockpiles but not ordered Hegseth to halt the flow of weapons.
The defence secretary is said to have acted on his own keeping in mind the president's America 'first' outlook.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. AFP
The White House said the problem is that Congress needed to be looped in.
'Congress would be glad to work with DoD if credible evidence was presented that the Pentagon stockpiles were critically short, requiring them to take unilateral action like they did last week,' one source told CNN.
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'But there have been no new urgent requirements submitted to Congress from DoD for any of these munitions,' the source added.
Trump is said to have ordered Hegseth to resume sending Ukraine weapons in light of the devastating attacks by Russia.
Asked about who authorised the halt in flow of weapons to Ukraine, Trump responded testily, 'I don't know, why don't you tell me?'
This is said to be the second time such an incident has occurred this year.
The first was in February when Hegseth's order took senior national security officials by surprise.
That decision too was quickly backtracked on.
'Secretary Hegseth provided a framework for the President to evaluate military aid shipments and assess existing stockpiles. This effort was coordinated across government,' the Pentagon said.
Officials say no one knows what Trump will do next – maybe not even Trump.
'This is the president's administration. What he decides, we do,' a Trump adviser told Axios. 'We're waiting on him.'
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Ukrainian officials had said it is 'critically important' for Ukraine to have 'stability, continuity and predictability' when it comes to arms and ammunition.
'We are grateful to the United States for all its support and highly appreciate the efforts of American partners aimed at achieving genuine peace.'
'Everything related to air defe
nce is today our top priority – air defence systems, missiles for them, and drone-based air defence,' he said in a video message this week.
'Step by step, we are closing the funding gap for the production of drones and interceptor drones, and filling Ukrainian production lines with specific orders.'
Russia, meanwhile, remains undeterred with foreign minister telling a Hungarian newspaper recently that that the 'underlying causes' of the war must be addressed.
Lavrov demanded the 'demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine, lifting sanctions on Russia, rescinding all lawsuits against Russia, and returning the illegally seized Western-based assets.'
Timeline of Trump praising Putin
Trump and Putin have had a strange relationship.
Trump visited Russia in the 1980s, though it remains unlikely that they met at the time.
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Trump and Putin are said to have met in Moscow in 2013.
However, Putin has denied such claims.
Trump even before taking office praised Putin over a dozen times calling him a 'strong and fantastic leader' – often unfavourably comparing Obama to him.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reuters
Trump in October 2007 heaped fulsome praise on Putin.
'Look at Putin – what he's doing with Russia – I mean, you know, what's going on over there. I mean this guy has done – whether you like him or don't like him – he's doing a great job in rebuilding the image of Russia and also rebuilding Russia period,' Trump told Larry King.
'Putin has big plans for Russia. He wants to edge out its neighbours so that Russia can dominate oil supplies to all of Europe. Putin has also announced his grand vision: the creation of a 'Eurasian Union' made up of former Soviet nations that can dominate the region. I respect Putin and the Russians but cannot believe our leader allows them to get away with so much – I am sure that Vladimir Putin is even more surprised than I am. Hats off to the Russians,' Trump wrote in his 2011 book Time to Get Tough.
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'I think he's done a really great job of outsmarting our country,' Trump told King again in 2013.
Trump, on David Letterman's later night show in 2013, said Putin was 'a tough guy' and added that 'I met him once.'
Trump told Fox in February 2014, 'When I went to Russia with the Miss Universe pageant, he contacted me and was so nice.'
'Their leaders are – whether you call them smarter or more cunning or whatever – but they're outsmarting us. If you look at Syria or other places, they're outsmarting us.'
'You know, I was in Moscow a couple of months ago – I own the Miss Universe Pageant – and they treated me so great. Putin even sent me a present, a beautiful present,' Trump told CPAC in 2014.
'Putin has eaten Obama's lunch, therefore our lunch, for a long period of time,' Trump said in 2014.
'I believe Putin will continue to re-build the Russian Empire,' Trump said on social media in 2014. 'He has zero respect for Obama or the U.S.!'
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'Putin has become a big hero in Russia with an all-time high popularity. Obama, on the other hand, has fallen to his lowest ever numbers. SAD', Trump added,
'You look at Putin, who is absolutely having a great time. … Russia is like, I mean, they're really hot stuff. And now you have people in the Ukraine – who knows, set up or not – but it can't all be set up, I mean they're marching in favour of joining Russia. … But Russia, I mean what [Putin's] done for Russia is really amazing. And he's done it by outsmarting our country at every single step,' Trump said in April 2014.
'America is at a great disadvantage. Putin is ex-KGB, Obama is a community organizer. Unfair,' Trump added in April 2014.
'Putin has shown the world what happens when America has weak leaders. Peace Through Strength!' Trump wrote in April 2014.
With inputs from agencies
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