Trump Announces NATO Arms Agreement for Ukraine

On Thursday night, President Trump stated that an agreement had been reached with NATO to provide arms to Ukraine, mentioning that the alliance will cover the associated costs.

“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and they’ll pay for 100% of those,” he expressed during a phone interview with NBC News. “So basically, the weapons go to NATO, and then NATO delivers them to Ukraine, and they’re footing the bill for all of that,” he reiterated.

According to Trump, this arrangement was made during the NATO summit held in The Hague back in June.

“We’re providing weapons to NATO, which is working on reimbursing all the costs,” Trump elaborated during his conversation with NBC’s Kristen Welker.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the U.S. is engaging with multiple European nations, such as Spain and Germany, particularly regarding the Patriot missile defense system, which is vital for intercepting and neutralizing ballistic missiles.

“Spain has them, but they are quite a distance from Ukraine. Germany has others,” he explained to reporters while in Malaysia after attending a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “There are additional Patriot batteries and other options available.”

Rubio noted that if a country that has ordered a Patriot battery is about to receive it and can defer shipment to send it to Ukraine instead, that would be beneficial.

There has been an escalation in his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin recently, as he remarked that there has been “no progress” in mediating a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Trump expressed skepticism about Putin’s intentions to end the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe that began with the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration resumed sending various defense weapons to Ukraine just days after the Pentagon had paused the delivery of some air defense missiles and ammunition due to worries about depleting U.S. stockpiles.

NATO’s Executive Director Mark Latte communicated with Trump on Thursday, emphasizing the need for allies to send more arms to Ukraine.

“The ongoing, widespread attacks on civilians—both Russian and Ukrainian—are unacceptable. Today, I urged our leaders to provide additional ammunition and air defense systems,” he noted on social media.

“I just had a discussion with President Trump, and we are now coordinating closely with our allies to ensure Ukraine receives the necessary support,” he added.