US President Donald Trump accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday of talking "nonsense" about Ukraine, and vowed that the United States would send more weapons to Kiev to defend itself against Russian invasion.
In his statements to the media, Trump expressed anger with the Kremlin leader over the issue of the war launched by Moscow nearly three and a half years ago.
"Putin hits us with a lot of nonsense, if you want to know the truth," Trump told reporters after a cabinet meeting at the White House.
"He's very good all the time, but this turns out to be meaningless."
Trump has reiterated that he is "very unhappy" with Putin since their last conversation last week, which did not result in progress towards an agreement to end the war, which the American president has advocated for since returning to power.
Asked about his interest in a Senate bill for more sanctions on Russia, Trump said he was watching it with great interest.
Trump's criticism of Putin came a day after he said he would send more weapons to Ukraine, reversing an announcement by Washington last week that it would halt some arms shipments.
"Putin is not treating people right. He is killing a lot of people. So we will send weapons for defense, and I have approved that," Trump said.
He has pledged to immediately send 10 Patriot systems to Ukraine, according to reports in several American media outlets.
Trump has also called on Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to encourage contractors to increase weapons production.
The war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the war a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine.
The West has responded to Russia by hitting the country's economy with harsh sanctions.
As a result of the war, thousands of people have died and millions more have been displaced from their homes./ REL