Trump Discusses NATO Weapons Deal
On Thursday night, President Donald Trump announced that he’d finalized a new NATO agreement during last month’s summit, enabling the transfer of U.S. weapons to Ukraine through allied nations.
“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO pays 100% for those weapons,” he mentioned in a phone interview with NBC News. “So, essentially, we’re supplying weapons to NATO, and they’ll hand them over to Ukraine while covering the full cost.”
He further clarified, saying, “We send weapons to NATO, and they’re striving to reimburse the complete expense of those weapons.”
Trump’s View on European Weapons Purchases
Trump didn’t go into specifics about which weapons were part of the deal or which nations were involved, but his statements indicate that European leaders are ready to purchase U.S. arms for Ukraine.
This comes on the heels of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly exploring new avenues to acquire essential arms after the Pentagon paused previously promised defensive aid to Kiev.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned at the Ukrainian Recovery Conference in Rome that Berlin was “prepared to purchase additional Patriot systems from the United States to supply Ukraine.”
Earlier this week, Trump expressed his disapproval of the Pentagon’s decision to halt assistance.
Trump’s Criticism of Russia
Expressing growing frustration, Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for his refusal to cease hostilities in Ukraine, especially as Russian attacks have intensified.
“It’s unbelievable that civilians, including a woman in labor, are targeted. It’s horrific,” he said, touching on a recent offensive that involved an obstetric hospital.
As an aside, Trump mentioned he intends to make a significant announcement regarding Russia soon.
New Approach to Ending the War
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently addressed reporters at an international conference in Malaysia, indicating he would present Trump with a “new and different” approach to ending the conflict after a meeting with Russia’s Sergey Lavrov.
However, when pressed for details, Rubio remained vague and indicated it was about an “unrelated” issue.
