US President Donald Trump on Sunday lashed out at his Russian counterpart, accusing him of speaking “beautifully” in public while bombing Ukraine under the cover of darkness.
“I thought he was somebody that meant what he said, and he’ll talk so beautifully, then he’ll bomb people at night. We don’t like that,” Trump told reporters, in one of his strongest rebukes of Vladimir Putin since retaking office.
His remarks signal a sharp pivot from earlier United States policy under his own administration, which initially showed reluctance to deepen direct military commitments in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Trump, however, confirmed that Patriot air defence missiles would be sent to Kyiv, though he offered no detail on how many or when they would be delivered. The move, while firm in posture, was accompanied by a clear shift in financial responsibility.
“We are spending ZERO DOLLARS,” Trump declared. “The European Union is paying for it. We’re not paying ANYTHING. It’ll be business for us.”
The statement, while echoing Trump’s long-standing criticism of NATO burden-sharing, also underscores his preference for transactional diplomacy, particularly in European defence affairs.
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“That’s the way it SHOULD’VE BEEN a long time ago,” he added, doubling down on his view that Europe must shoulder a greater share of security costs in the region.
There was no immediate response from the European Union on whether it had agreed to finance the shipment of Patriot systems, or if Trump’s remarks reflected a bilateral arrangement.
The comments come at a time of renewed hostilities in eastern Ukraine, where Russian air strikes have intensified over the past week. Kyiv has repeatedly appealed for advanced Western air defence systems as its cities brace for further escalation.
Trump’s public frustration with Putin contrasts sharply with his earlier posture during his 2016–2020 term, when he often praised the Russian leader’s “strength” and resisted bipartisan calls for harsher sanctions.
Critics have said Sunday’s statements reflect political pressure amid divided public sentiment in the United States regarding involvement in the war.
The US president’s remarks were widely circulated across social media, including by political action group Rapid Response 47, who posted a video clip of the exchange.
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