'Putin has to end that war'

Donald Trump says he will consider giving Ukraine more missiles as he voices his frustration with Russian leader

- ANDREW FEINBERG

Donald Trump said he is considering sending more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, as he renewed calls on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to end the war.

Speaking to reporters at the Nato summit in the Netherlands yesterday, the US president added that he isn’t ruling out a new defence assistance package.

Mr Trump, who has surrounded himself with isolationist-minded advisers who’ve publicly opposed continued support for Kyiv, responded, “We’ll see what happens” when asked whether the US would contribute anything on top of the $8bn (£5.86bn) pledged by Nato allies as part of the 32-member bloc’s continued support for Ukraine’s war effort.

Speaking at a press conference on the heels of a closed-door sit-down with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Trump said there has been “a lot of spirit” in Ukraine’s fight against the invasion Putin ordered in February 2022.

He also appeared to shift blame for the continuation and escalation of the war to Putin, marking a dramatic reversal from how he characterised the situation during a contentious Oval Office meeting with Mr Zelensky earlier this year.

“Vladimir Putin really has to end that war,” the president said. “People are dying at levels that people haven’t seen before for a long time.”