Washington DC [US], July 8 : US President Donald Trump reaffirmed Washington's commitment to bolstering Ukraine's defence capabilities, stating that the US would be sending weapons to Ukraine to defend itself from Russia amid the conflict that is currently in its third year.
This came following a recent report that the Trump administration temporarily halted certain weapons deliveries to Ukraine amid a review of US military spending and foreign aid, CNN reported, citing a senior White House official.
Trump's remark came during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday (local time), where he further noted that the US would be primarily sending defensive weapons to Ukraine.
"We are going to send some more weapons (to Ukraine). We have to-- They have to be able to defend themselves. They are getting hit very hard now... We're gonna have to send more weapons. Defensive weapons, primarily. They are getting very, very hard. So many people are dying in that mess," the US President said.
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a briefing, also dismissed the reports of the US pausing its weapons aid to Ukraine, noting that it was a "standard review" by the Pentagon and was done to ensure that aid was being sent for the "best interest" of the US.
"This was a standard review by the Pentagon of all weapons and all aid and all support that the United States is providing all countries and all regions around the globe... It's a pause to review that everything the Pentagon is putting out there is in the best interest of our military," she stated.
This came after the Trump administration temporarily suspended certain arms shipments to Ukraine--including air defence systems--due to an ongoing review of US military expenditures and foreign assistance.
As per CNN, citing a White House official, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth approved the review, which has reportedly been in progress for several months.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the US has been Ukraine's largest individual provider of military assistance, supplying key equipment such as air defence systems, drones, rocket launchers, radars, tanks, and anti-armour weapons, raising concerns about the strain on US stockpiles, as reported by CNN.
Earlier in March, Trump temporarily suspended all military aid to Ukraine after a heated Oval Office exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; however, the aid deliveries resumed roughly a week later, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, on Friday night, Russia launched over 500 drones and 11 missiles at Kyiv, resulting in the death of one person, injuries to at least 23 others, and widespread damage to buildings across the capital, Al Jazeera reported, citing Ukrainian authorities.