Lead
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the American military needs to replenish its weapons stockpiles, while attributing any potential munitions shortage to his predecessor Joe Biden's decision to supply arms to Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump commented on the administration's request for $87.6 billion in additional funding from Congress, of which $21 billion is earmarked for the Pentagon to purchase ammunition and strengthen the country's industrial base.
"We need more all the time," Trump said, according to TASS.
Coverage Comparison
TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported Trump's remarks in two separate articles. The first, dated August 7, focused on the president's admission that the army needs more weapons, quoting him extensively. The second, dated August 11, highlighted Trump's claim that any munitions shortage was caused by Biden's decision to supply weapons to Ukraine.
Both articles present Trump's statements directly, with the first adopting a neutral tone and the second framing the story with a more partisan angle, labeling the shortage as "hypothetical" and noting "growing frustration" in reports about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Key Claims
Trump said the US has "massive amounts of ammunition" but "always want[s] more." He described the supply situation as mixed: "We have certain types of munitions that are very powerful. We have [an] unlimited, virtually unlimited supply. We have others where it's a little bit tighter, and we're getting them in on a daily basis."
The administration has requested $87.6 billion in additional funding, including $21 billion for ammunition purchases and industrial base strengthening.
In an interview with Real America's Voice, Trump said: "They talk about munitions. We're fine with munitions. <…> But the reason it could be lower <…> is because he [Biden] gave $300 billion worth to Ukraine."
TASS also cited US media reports saying weapons stockpiles have fallen to record lows amid the conflict with Iran, specifically mentioning Patriot air defense missiles, THAAD interceptors, and ATACMS and PrSM long-range missiles.
The reports also included an August 5 Washington Post story, citing sources, that Trump had asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain why the department had misled the president about a munitions shortage in the Iran conflict. Trump later denied being dissatisfied with Hegseth's work.