Trump said that Zelenskyy had refused to accept high-powered ammunition
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously declined some U.S. ammunition. According to Trump, Ukraine did not have the aircraft or other equipment necessary to use it at the time.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously declined some U.S. ammunition. According to Trump, this involved high-powered ammunition that Ukraine did not have the necessary aircraft or other equipment to deploy. Trump discussed this in an interview with TIME published on October 1. The conversation took place on September 28 at the White House. During the interview, the U.S. president was asked about the status of U.S. ammunition stocks and reports of a possible shortage.
Trump replied that U.S. stockpiles had indeed decreased for certain types of ammunition. At the same time, he stated that the situation was not critical. “We have slightly less of some types of ammunition than others. We have medium- and above-medium-caliber ammunition that is very powerful—stronger than ever before,” Trump said.
He then mentioned Zelenskyy. Trump stated that the Ukrainian president had refused to accept some of this ammunition. “There are munitions that President Zelenskyy did not want to accept, but these are very powerful munitions. He did not accept them because he did not have the aircraft or everything else needed to use these munitions,” the U.S. president said.
However, Trump did not specify exactly which munitions he was referring to. He also did not provide details on when this situation occurred or what aircraft or other equipment he was talking about.
What Trump Said About Raytheon
The U.S. president went on to say that the U.S. is currently ramping up ammunition production. He specifically mentioned the American defense contractor Raytheon. “Now we have Raytheon. We have all of them. They’re working,” Trump said.
According to him, weapons manufacturers are building new facilities across the United States. Some of the plants are operating around the clock, while the U.S. government is simultaneously increasing ammunition stockpiles. “They’re building factories all over the country, working 24/7, and we’re building up stockpiles to levels never seen before,” Trump said.
He also noted that the U.S. is signing new contracts with weapons manufacturers. According to Trump, this isn’t just about increasing production at existing facilities. The U.S. president stated that new production facilities are also being built in the country. Among other things, he mentioned facilities involved in the production of the Patriot and THAAD systems. “They’re also building four, five, six plants—Patriot plants, other plants, THAAD plants. They’re building them all over the country,” Trump said.
Trump Denies a Serious Ammunition Shortage
The question about U.S. stockpiles arose after TIME reporters cited an official U.S. Department of Defense report on shortages of certain types of ammunition. Trump was asked whether the U.S. military is indeed facing stockpile issues. The U.S. president called a significant portion of such reports false. At the same time, he acknowledged that stocks of certain items had decreased.
Trump also stated that over the past six months, the U.S. has been actively replenishing its stockpiles. According to him, Washington has enough weapons but continues to ramp up production. He specifically mentioned aid to Ukraine during the Joe Biden administration. Trump stated that the previous administration had transferred a large quantity of American ammunition to Ukraine.
“Biden transferred a huge amount of ammunition to Ukraine—far more than we used,” Trump said. At the same time, Trump emphasized that the U.S. is now actively replenishing its military stockpiles again. He did not specify the exact production volumes or the quantity of ammunition in question.
What Is Known About Trump’s Remarks on Ukraine
Thus, Trump’s main statement did not concern a new refusal by Ukraine to accept American weapons, but rather a situation that, according to him, had already occurred earlier. The U.S. president explained this by saying that Ukraine allegedly did not have the appropriate aircraft and other equipment to use this ammunition. At the same time, Trump did not specify exactly what kind of munitions Ukraine was supposed to receive. His responses also lack specific information about when the relevant negotiations took place or who exactly made the decision regarding their delivery.
Separately, he stated that the U.S. defense industry is currently ramping up production. According to Trump, this should allow the U.S. to simultaneously replenish its own stockpiles and supply weapons to its allies. He made this statement in an interview with *Time*.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he did not allow the Oval Office in the White House to be demolished. According to him, U.S. Secret Service officials had proposed tearing down the building and constructing a new one.
