US President Donald Trump will announce a new plan to arm Ukraine on Monday that is expected to include offensive weapons, two sources with knowledge of the plans tell Axios, APA reports.
The publication notes that sending offensive weapons would be a major shift for Trump, who had until recently been at pains to say he would provide only defensive weapons to avoid escalating the conflict.
U.S., Ukrainian and European officials hope the weapons will shift the trajectory of the war and change Russian President Vladimir Putin's calculations regarding a ceasefire.
Two sources told Axios they had reason to believe the plan was likely to include long-range missiles that could reach targets deep inside Russian territory, including Moscow. However, neither was aware of any final decision.
Trump has grown increasingly frustrated over the last two weeks over Putin's unwillingness to move towards a ceasefire and Russia's escalating attacks on Kyiv and other cities.
One thing that convinced Trump to move down this path was the July 3 phone call in which Putin made clear he planned to escalate the war.
Putin indicated that over the next 60 days he would make a renewed push to occupy territory up to the administrative lines of the Ukrainian regions in which Russia has a significant foothold.
"He wants to take all of it," Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron shortly after his call with Putin, according to a source with direct knowledge.
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