Trump announces weapons for Ukraine, warns Russia during talks with Nato chief

Join our Whatsapp channel

United States President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte announced a plan on Monday to rearm Ukraine with missiles and other weaponry in its fight to fend off Russian invaders and warned of severe tariffs if Moscow does not end the war.

The announcement by the two leaders followed weeks of frustration on the part of Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his refusal to make an agreement to end the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made frequent appeals to Trump and Nato leaders for more weapons.

Under the deal, Trump said the US will supply weapons that will be paid for by Nato countries. Rutte said massive numbers of weapons would be sent, including missiles, as part of a first wave of equipment.

“It’s a full complement with the batteries,” Trump said when asked whether he would send Patriot missiles specifically. “We’re going to have some come very soon, within days … a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have.”

Trump also warned that he would impose “very severe tariffs” on Russia if no deal is made in 50 days.

“If I was Vladimir Putin today, and you’re speaking about what you are planning to do in 50 days … I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously,” Rutte said.

Trump has been reluctant to punish Russia, but he came away from a recent phone call with Putin disappointed that the Russian leader appeared prepared to continue the war.

“Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” Trump said on Sunday, as he returned from watching the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.

The White House has U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, instead announcing a new deal which would involve Nato purchasing some US weapons to send to Ukraine.

Last week, Trump accused Putin of throwing “bullshit” at Washington on Ukraine, openly frustrated with the impasse on peace efforts.

As he began his second stint in office in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war in Ukraine swiftly, and held off on hiking sanctions, unlike Kyiv’s European allies.

But Russia has for months refused a ceasefire proposed by the US and Ukraine.

‘Sledgehammer’

Republican senators, meanwhile, are touting a bipartisan bill that would arm Trump with a “sledgehammer” to use against Russia.

The sanctions bill would allow Trump “to go after Putin’s economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine”, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told broadcaster CBS News.

It “would give President Trump the ability to impose 500pc tariffs on any country that helps Russia”, said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods such as China, India or Brazil.

“This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war,” Graham said.

Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were also due to meet Rutte today.

Blumenthal told CBS News they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.

“The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it’s time to do it,” said Blumenthal.

Zelensky said the proposed bill “is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty”.

The Kremlin has previously said that sending arms to Ukraine would only prolong the conflict.

Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has shown little appetite for ending the conflict despite pressure from Trump.

Over the summer, Russia has escalated its offensive and advanced the front line, launching some of the largest missile and drone attacks of the war.