【By Observer Net, Shao Yun】
According to reports from Reuters, AFP and other media on July 13, US President Trump once again stated that the US will send "Patriot" air defense missile systems to Ukraine. He also reiterated his criticism of Russian President Putin, calling him "polite during the day but bombing everyone at night".
"We will provide them with the 'Patriot' air defense systems they desperately need... I haven't finalized the quantity yet, but they will definitely get some, because they do need protection," Trump said at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. He had just watched the FIFA Club World Cup final and was returning to Washington from New Jersey.
Trump added that the US would deliver "various very advanced military equipment" to Ukraine, but would not pay any related costs, "That's just business for us." Previously, Trump announced last week that he had reached an agreement with NATO leaders, under which NATO member states would "fully fund" the purchase of American weapons and then send these weapons to Ukraine.
Trump also reiterated that the reason for the US providing weapons to Ukraine is because of "disappointment" in Putin. "Putin really surprised a lot of people. He is polite during the day but bombs everyone at night," Trump said, "There is something wrong here, and I don't like it."
When asked if he would announce sanctions against Russia, Trump gave a vague answer: "Let's see tomorrow, okay?"
Local time on the 13th, Trump was interviewed at Andrews Air Force Base. Media report screenshot
Trump's statement comes just one day before the 14th, when he previously hinted at a major statement on Russia. He did not reveal the content of the statement, but Axios news reported on the 13th, citing two sources, that Trump is expected to announce a new plan to provide Ukraine with offensive weapons.
This is considered a significant shift in Trump's position. The BBC pointed out that so far, the Trump administration has only provided Ukraine with defensive weapons, such as the "Patriot" system. "Patriot" is a ground-based air defense missile system that can deal with threats such as aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. A "Patriot" system usually includes launch vehicles, radar, command and control rooms, and power units. The White House has not commented on this yet.
In recent times, Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Putin. After a call with Putin at the beginning of the month, Trump publicly complained about being "unhappy" with the lack of progress in the conversation. A few days later, Trump also publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with Putin in a cabinet meeting, saying "He has always been polite, but the results have been meaningless."
At that time, Trump also said he was "very seriously considering" whether to support a Senate bill imposing sanctions on Russia. According to the information, the bill plans to impose tariffs as high as 500% on countries purchasing Russian oil, natural gas, uranium, and other export products, and to implement secondary sanctions on foreign companies supporting Russian energy production.
According to US media, although this bipartisan bill already has enough votes in both houses of Congress to pass, the Republican leadership has not submitted it for a vote, waiting for Trump's statement. According to AFP, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who is pushing the bill, said earlier on the 13th that this bill would be "a heavy hammer placed in the hands of President Trump," authorizing Trump to "end" the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic Senator who co-sponsored the bill, mentioned in an interview with US media that they will also discuss a legally controversial issue, whether it is possible to unfreeze frozen Russian assets for use by Ukraine. "The $500 million frozen by the US may also be used. I think it's time to do so," he said.
On the 13th, NATO announced that NATO Secretary-General Rutte will visit the US on the 14th to 15th, meeting with Trump, US Secretary of State Rubio and Defense Secretary Hegseth, among others. In addition, Graham and Blumenthal are also planning to meet with Rutte on the evening of the 14th local time.
Regarding Trump's latest remarks, the Russian side has not responded yet. However, regarding the US selling weapons to NATO members to supply Ukraine, Russian President's press secretary Peskov said on the 11th that the US action is essentially supplying weapons to Ukraine. Peskov pointed out that the US action is "purely business", but "the same thing in different packaging," ultimately still supplies weapons to Ukraine.
Peskov previously said that Russia is waiting for Trump's "major statement" to accurately understand what Trump means. He said that Russia has "carefully recorded all the subtle nuances" in the statements of the US president. However, he denied the claim that the differences between Russia and the US have intensified, stating that both sides hope to solve the problem through political and diplomatic means as soon as possible.
When asked about how to view Trump's criticism of Putin, Peskov said on the 9th that Trump often uses strong language, and the Russian side "remains calm" towards his criticism, and will continue to work to repair the "broken" US-Russia relations.
The New York Times cited analysts and sources on the 9th, saying that Putin has already considered the possibility of new pressure from the US. The report said that Putin is confident that Russia's advantage on the battlefield is increasing, and therefore expects to ignore Trump's "disappointment" and increase military operations against Ukraine. "He (Putin) won't sacrifice his goals in Ukraine to improve relations with Trump," said Tatyana Stanovaya, a senior researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Russia and Eurasia.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526873829776327195/
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