Putin stance frustrating, Kyiv may need Patriot missiles, says Trump

US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need Patriot missiles for its air defenc, after speaking with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, and voiced frustration over Russian President Putin’s failure to end the fighting.

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Asked whether the US would agree to supply more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, Trump said, “They’re going to need them for defence... They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.”

Asked about the prospects for a ceasefire, Trump said, “It’s a very tough situation... I was very unhappy with my call with President Putin. He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people — it’s no good.”

Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.

A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s airstrikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defense systems to bridge the gap.

Dutch and German intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including dropping a choking agent from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot.

Ukraine said it struck a Russian air base on Saturday, while Russia continued to pound Ukraine with hundreds of drones as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has dashed hopes for an end to the war.