‘Talks nice and then bombs at night’: Trump hits out at Putin as Patriot missiles head to Ukraine

When he first returned to the White House in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war, holding off on hiking sanctions, unlike European allies.

US President Donald Trump has once again expressed his frustration with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over the ongoing war in Ukraine. While speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump confirmed the deployment of Patriot missiles to Kyiv and voiced his anger at Putin. The confirmation comes just days after the President had hinted at a “major announcement” on Russia. This statement follows a series of diplomatic maneuvers — including a senior American official visiting Kyiv and a NATO official meeting with Trump in Washington tonight.

While he didn’t specify the exact numbers, Trump did confirm Washington is sending Patriot missiles to Kyiv. The latest development marks a clear departure from Washington’s earlier stance, where the Trump administration had said that the supply of weapons to Kyiv would be paused.

However, Trump insisted that the US is not doing any charity. "We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military [equipment], and they're going to pay us 100 percent for them," Trump said. "It'll be business for us," he added.

He also expressed his displeasure with the Russian President. "Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening," said a disgruntled Trump. Last week, Trump accused Putin of throwing "bullshit" at Washington on Ukraine — openly frustrated with the seeming impasse.

When he first returned to the White House in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war, holding off on hiking sanctions, unlike European allies.

But Russia has, for months, refused a ceasefire proposed by the United States and Kyiv.

(With AFP inputs)