Trump hits out at Putin as US ships arms to Ukraine

Donald Trump accuses Vladimir Putin of misleading him with 'nice' intentions and says too many dying in conflict

- ANDREW FEINBERG IN WASHINGTON DC

Donald Trump delivered some of his sharpest-ever criticism of Vladimir Putin yesterday as he said the US is resuming deliveries of weapons to Ukraine to counter Russian attacks on civilians.

The US president confirmed shipments to Kyiv during a cabinet meeting yesterday (Reuters) deliveries of weapons to Ukraine to counter Russian attacks on civilians.

The US president said he was “not happy” with his Russian counterpart, whom he accused of “killing a lot of people”, including many of his own soldiers to the tune of “7,000 a week”.

Mr Trump said there is “no reason” for Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine and complained that reaching a ceasefire in the three-year-old war Putin launched has been “tougher” than expected, while crediting Kyiv’s forces for bravery as they’ve battled back Russia’s invasion.

“I will say the Ukrainians were brave, but we gave them the best equipment ever made ... we gave them missiles, the latest and the greatest. They were able to shoot down a lot of things,” he said at a cabinet meeting.