Trump says he'll send Patriot missiles to Ukraine again, but "Europe will pay for them."
The US president says he will make an announcement about Russia today.
BarcelonaUS President Donald Trump announced early this morning that he will send interceptor missile systems Patriot in Ukraine to defend against Russia, but that the European Union (EU) "will pay for it." He will make his statements this Monday when he receives the head of NATO, Mark Rutte.
"I haven't agreed on the number yet, but they will have some because they need protection, but the European Union is paying for it. We are not paying anything, but we will send them. We will do business and send them Patriots," Trump told the media after attending the final of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Patriots are one of the US military's main anti-ballistic defense systems and are used to intercept attacks launched from both land and air. Trump had announced on Thursday that he had reached an agreement to send weapons to NATO so that the organization would then send them to Ukraine and that the Atlantic Alliance would "pay 100%," so it is expected to be the central topic of the conversation with Rutte, which will take place on Monday and Tuesday in Washington.
The president said the US has given $350 billion in aid to Ukraine, while Europe has only provided $100 billion.
Possible sanctions
Trump has reiterated that there will be an announcement on Russia this Monday after weeks of expressing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to accept a truce and halt the bombing of Ukrainian territory, although he has not detailed possible sanctions: "Putin is late, he has surprised a lot of people. He says good things. One small problem and I don't like it."
Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, one of Trump's closest allies, has indicated that it could involve a package of sanctions on Russia, because he is promoting legislation that would allow Trump to impose punishments such as a 500% tariff on countries that aid Russia's offensive and Russia.
White House special envoy Keith Kellogg travels to Kiev this Monday, where he plans to stay for a week to discuss both the reinforcement of anti-aircraft defenses and a possible resumption of negotiations with Moscow.
Ukrainian drones over Crimea
On the ground, Russian air defenses shot down a total of eleven Ukrainian drones tonight over three regions of the country and the annexed Crimean peninsula, according to the Russian Defense Ministry's Telegram channel. Drone attacks against Russian territory have decreased in recent days, while Moscow has increased its bombing.