Trump Blasts Putins Nonsense on Ukraine as U.S. Increases Military Support

President Donald Trump accused Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday of making «nonsense» statements regarding Ukraine, asserting that the United States would provide Kyiv with additional weapons for its defense.

Trump’s outburst reflected his escalating frustration with the Kremlin leader amid the prolonged conflict that began nearly three and a half years ago.

«We’re receiving a lot of nonsense from Putin, to be completely honest,» Trump stated during a televised cabinet meeting at the White House.

«He’s always very amiable, but ultimately it leads to nothing.»

Trump reiterated his dissatisfaction with Putin, emphasizing that a phone call last week resulted in no advancement toward the Ukraine peace agreement he has advocated since regaining power.

When asked about his stance on a Senate-proposed bill for further sanctions against Russia, Trump remarked, «I’m considering it very seriously.»

His critique of Putin followed a day after he announced plans to send more weapons to Ukraine, reversing Washington’s prior declaration to halt some arms deliveries.

The U.S. president, who raised concerns among Kyiv and Western allies with his quick pivot towards Putin after returning to the White House, confirmed this decision on Tuesday.

«Putin is not treating people correctly. He’s responsible for too many deaths. Therefore, we’re providing some defensive arms, and I have approved that,» Trump said.

According to the U.S. news website Axios, Trump has pledged to immediately send 10 Patriot interceptors—anti-missile systems—to Ukraine.

He also urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to encourage defense contractors to ramp up weapon production.

«We need to increase production, Pete, and let them manufacture at a significantly higher rate,» he noted.

Moscow had no instant response to Trump’s pointed remarks about Putin, which come just two weeks after he used strong language regarding the conflict between Israel and Iran.

However, the Kremlin indicated that supplying arms to Ukraine merely prolongs the conflict.

«It is clear that these actions are unlikely to support efforts for a peaceful resolution,» Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was cited by Russian news agencies during a briefing.

Ukrainian officials are reportedly seeking clarity following the mixed signals from Washington.

Any interruption in weapons supply poses a serious challenge for Kyiv, which faces some of the largest missile and drone assaults from Russia during the war.

Putin commenced the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has shown little inclination to end hostilities despite pressures from Trump.

On Monday, Moscow reported that its forces had seized their first village in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region after months of advancing towards it.

The village of Dachne is situated in a crucial industrial mining zone that has increasingly been targeted by Russian airstrikes.

In the previous month, Moscow claimed that its forces had crossed into the Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time in their military campaign.

Russia also initiated a fresh, large-scale drone and missile attack on Monday, targeting Ukraine’s military recruitment centers.

In response, Kyiv asserted that it conducted a drone strike on a Russian munitions facility in the Moscow region.

Thus far, Ukraine has denied any Russian presence in Dnipropetrovsk. Earlier on Monday, Ukraine’s military stated that its forces «repelled» assaults in Dnipropetrovsk, including in the vicinity of Dachne.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea—that Moscow has publicly annexed.

Describing the situation in Dnipropetrovsk as «challenging» for Ukrainian forces, military expert Oleksiy Kopytko indicated that Russia aims to establish some form of buffer zone in the region.

«Our troops are maintaining their positions quite firmly,» he told AFP.