Putin speaks nicely - and bombs at night: Trump sends Patriot missiles to Ukraine

Desperation and determination hung in the air as the train rolled into the station in Kyiv. On the platform stood Andrii Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office - welcoming the man who is more than just a diplomat these days. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s new special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, stepped off the carriage, surrounded by security personnel, flanked by symbolism. It was a moment that marked not only the course of a journey but possibly the course of a war. For with Kellogg’s arrival begins a new phase of American Ukraine policy - and at the same time a new tone toward Moscow. While Russian glide bombs shook the city of Shostka and a seven-year-old child was pulled from the rubble, President Donald Trump publicly announced on Sunday evening what had previously only been speculated behind closed doors: the United States is sending Patriot missiles to Ukraine. It was a reaction to Putin’s “double game,” as Trump called it - and to a reality that can no longer be glossed over with diplomatic smiles. “He talks so nicely - and then he bombs everyone at night,” said Trump. It wasn’t just a statement. It was a dam breaking. Because while Russia has massively intensified its attacks - with more than 230 civilian deaths in June alone, over 1,300 injured, according to the UN the highest casualty count since the start of the war - something is forming in Washington that long seemed politically incompatible. Trump, who during his campaign had pledged to end the “money burning in Ukraine,” is now not only announcing arms deliveries but a veritable reordering. The U.S. will in future sell modern weapons systems to NATO countries - and those allies will pass them directly to Ukraine. “They pay one hundred percent,” said Trump - part businessman, part strategist, fully president.

In parallel, a new majority is forming on Capitol Hill. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and his Democratic colleague Richard Blumenthal are pushing a bill that is hard to overstate in its impact. It envisions a 500 percent tariff on imports from countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, uranium or other exports. China, India, and Brazil would be affected - and would have to choose: the American market or Russian energy. “It’s time to shut off Putin’s tap,” said Blumenthal. “And whoever supports him should pay the price.” Foreign policy is also being tightened. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is meeting this week with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The agenda: weapons, sanctions, strategic coordination. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu told the newspaper La Tribune Dimanche that Europe is facing a “capability gap” - and urgently hopes for American support in air defense. The situation is serious, France will not be able to supply new ground-to-air missiles until 2026. While Kellogg held talks in Kyiv about security, weapons, and humanitarian protection, 136 Shahed drones, four S-300/400 missiles, and several decoys flew over Ukraine overnight. Air defenses intercepted 61 drones, 47 more were lost due to jamming. In Russia, the Defense Ministry reported shooting down Ukrainian drones over Crimea, the Black Sea, and multiple border regions. And yet, it all feels like a prelude to something bigger - a political moment that is currently being prepared in the corridors of the White House. Trump himself had announced that he would make a “major statement” on his Russia strategy on Monday. But on the eve, he held back. “We’re going to see what we will see tomorrow,” he said. A sentence that was both a threat and a non-answer - and one that sets the tone for the coming days.

But perhaps the most symbolic shootdown took place in Washington - with the end of the illusion that Trump might strike a “deal-level” understanding with Putin. That hope is history. What remains is resolve. And a new reality that Trump himself now puts into words: “We don’t like it when someone talks nicely and then bombs at night.” It is the sentence of a man who has learned that the language of war cannot be broken with charm - but only with strength.