Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Syrian sources: The Israeli occupation has begun withdrawing from the areas it infiltrated last night in the Quneitra countryside.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Massive bombings in eastern Gaza, the second within half an hour, and its sound was heard from central area.
Russian air defense units destroyed a drone that was heading toward Moscow.
Maduro: Tomorrow, a business meeting will be held bringing together hundreds of entrepreneurs from advanced Russian industries with hundreds of Venezuelan businesspeople.
Maduro: In the face of threats, Trinidad and Tobago agreed to suspend all effects of the energy agreement and everything that had been agreed upon in that regard.
Maduro: It’s time to make a choice, either stand with the warmongers who want death and violence, or stand with life.
Maduro: They want our wealth. This is not about drug trafficking, and they know it.
Maduro: Everyone in the world knows that what the economic elite ruling the United States seeks today is Venezuela’s oil, gas, and gold.
Maduro: The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago is complicit and promoting war due to her personal, physical, mental, and moral weaknesses.
President Nicolás Maduro: A series of arrests have been carried out against what could be a group of mercenaries trained and funded by the CIA.

Trump weighs more Patriot missiles for Ukraine: WSJ

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Wall Street Journal
  • 9 Jul 2025 16:27
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Officials said the administration is not only considering deploying US systems but is also exploring avenues to source additional Patriots from allied nations.

Listen
  • x
  • President Donald Trump, center, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
    President Donald Trump, center, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House on July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday revealed that US President Donald Trump is considering sending an additional Patriot air-defense system to Ukraine, as Washington intensifies its military backing of Kiev despite repeated diplomatic failures and continued escalation. Two officials confirmed the Pentagon has been asked to present options for reinforcing Ukraine's defenses, including the highly sought-after Patriot system.

Trump, who once expressed openness to negotiations with Russia, has recently adopted a more confrontational stance, lashing out at President Vladimir Putin by saying, "We get a lot of bulls—t thrown at us by Putin." 

Officials said the administration is not only considering deploying US systems but also exploring ways to source additional Patriot batteries from allied nations. The US and several European countries have already provided Ukraine with a limited number of these high-demand systems, and one official noted that the US Army could assign a Patriot unit to Ukraine if ordered.

While Ukraine has received several Patriot systems from the US and European states, their effectiveness remains questionable due to maintenance delays and limited missile stocks. A former Pentagon official cited that while three systems were delivered by the US, three by Germany, and one by a European group, not all are currently operational.

Arms disarray

In recent weeks, the Trump administration had paused an arms shipment that included a wide array of offensive and defensive munitions, among them AIM-120 and Hellfire missiles, HIMARS rounds, Stinger missiles, and grenade launchers. Trump now claims the shipments have resumed, stating, "Defensive weapons, primarily, but they are getting hit very, very hard. So many people are dying in that mess."

Related News

Trump shifts arms strategy: Ukraine buys, allies replenish stocks

Western arms undermine peace, talks await Kiev's response: Kremlin

But the delays were not solely political. According to a recent report by The Guardian, the United States' stockpile of Patriot missiles has dropped to just 25% of its original reserves, largely due to its support for "Israel" during the recent 12-day war on Iran. Nearly 30 Patriots were fired to intercept Iranian missile strikes in that conflict, significantly depleting US inventories.

As a result, the Pentagon temporarily halted some munitions transfers to Ukraine in June while reassessing global commitments. A White House spokesperson confirmed the pause was part of a broader audit, not limited to Ukraine, though it has had direct consequences on Kiev’s battlefield readiness.

Patriot systems, especially the PAC-3 MSE variant produced by Lockheed Martin, cost around $4.1 million per interceptor, making them both logistically limited and financially burdensome. Trump’s recent pledge to send 10 Patriot missiles falls well short of the originally planned 30, highlighting the strategic challenges facing U.S. defense planners.

Strategic pressure

Moreover, during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump acknowledged Putin could be "very nice," but said his words "turn out to be meaningless," a comment that may further strain any future attempts at diplomacy.

Trump's earlier phone call with Putin, during which he urged a halt to the war, reportedly ended in disappointment. In contrast, his conversation with Zelensky was more productive, after he clarified he had not personally ordered the weapons shipment freeze, a pause that exposed disarray within the US administration.

Trump is also weighing new economic measures against states cooperating with Russia. "I'm looking into" a Senate-led sanctions bill, he said on Monday, though insiders say the current version lacks the flexibility he seeks. The White House is now reportedly working with lawmakers to shape the legislation around Trump's preferred terms.

Read more: US bill proposes 500% tariffs on nations trading with Russia

Despite previously questioning the massive US financial outlays to Ukraine, Trump appears to be embracing a more militaristic path. "The Ukrainians, whether you think it is unfair that we gave all that money or not, they were very brave," he said, praising a war effort that many view as a proxy confrontation driven by US and NATO interests.

Meanwhile, analysts warn that US escalation risks deepening the conflict. "Putin sees no reason to stop the war, because the US hasn't taken action to force him to change his calculus. The only way to do that is to impose tough costs, economic and military, on Russia," said Alina Polyakova, president of the hawkish Center for European Policy Analysis.

  • Patriot missiles
  • Trump
  • Air Defense Systems
  • military aid
  • Ukraine
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Delta Air Lines flight lands at Harry Reid International Airport, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Las Vegas (AP)
Politics

Nearly 3,800 US flights disrupted amid ongoing government shutdown

FILE - The Amazon logo is pictured at the Amazon Robotic Sorting Fulfillment Center in Madison County, Miss., Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Economy

Amazon to cut 30,000 jobs in largest layoff in company history

Eurofighter Typhoon Spain's Air Force fighter jets fly above the military parade marking 'Día de la Hispanidad', or Hispanic Day, in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP)
Politics

UK sells 20 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye in £8bn defense agreement

Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

RSF tightens El Fasher siege as Sudan risks fragmentation: Reuters

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS