Trump’s U-Turn on Weapons Leaves Ukrainians Hopeful but Cautious

Ukrainians on Tuesday welcomed President Trump’s announcement that he would send additional weapons to fend off Russian attacks, even if it was the latest in a series of flip-flops on his approach to the war.

Lawmakers and analysts in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, said they were not expecting a full turnaround on military assistance, given Mr. Trump’s skepticism of U.S. spending on Ukraine and his fickleness on continuing military aid already funded by Congress.

When Mr. Trump’s administration last week decided to pause some already-approved arms transfers to Ukraine, officials said that the reason was to review weapons levels in American stockpiles. But on Monday, Mr. Trump said that Moscow’s recent attacks on Ukrainian cities had left him no choice.

“We’re going to send more weapons,” Mr. Trump told reporters, noting that he had become unhappy with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who has been foot-dragging in cease-fire talks that began in February.

“We have to,” Mr. Trump added. “They have to be able to defend themselves.”

Iryna Gerashchenko, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament for the opposition European Solidarity Party, wrote on social media that the announcement was “a signal of political change.”

“The increasing intensity of Russian attacks and growing pressure from allies in Europe, particularly Germany and France, are forcing the White House to change,” she added.