President Donald Trump met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Monday, where the two announced a deal that European countries will buy U.S. weapons to send to Ukraine. Trump also threatened to impose 100% tariffs on countries that do business with Russia if there is no peace deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days,
Regarding the United States’ deal to sell weapons to NATO nations, Rutte said those countries will in turn send weapons to Ukraine to replenish their depleted stockpiles. The Pentagon paused shipments of some weapons shipments to Ukraine earlier this month, but Mr. Trump reversed course last week, saying Ukraine must be able to defend itself.
Trump said at the Oval Office on Monday: “We’ve made a deal today where we’re going to be sending them weapons and they’re going to be paying for them. We, the United States, will not be having any payment made. We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”
Rutte added “This is really big … And the decision is that you want Ukraine [to have] what it needs to have to maintain to be able to defend itself against Russia, but you want Europeans to pay for it, which is totally logical.”
As his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin grows following multiple calls with the Russian leader since taking office in January, Trump shared: “We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a deal within 50 days. It’s very simple. And they’ll be at 100%. We are very unhappy, I am, with Russia .. I always hang up, say, ‘Well, that was a nice phone call.’ And then missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city and I say, ‘That’s strange.’ And after that happens three or four times, you say, the talk doesn’t mean anything .. He’s — I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy. Ultimately, talk doesn’t talk, it’s got to be action, it’s got to be results.”
Zelenskyy posted on X Monday afternoon that he spoke with Mr. Trump, writing: “I spoke with @POTUS. It was a very good conversation. Thank you for the willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace. President Trump shared details about his meeting with the
@SecGenNATO. It’s important that we have such a good relationship, and that the Alliance countries are working to increase defense spending. We discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions. We are ready to work as productively as possible to achieve peace. We agreed to catch up more often by phone and coordinate our steps in the future as well. Thank you, Mr. President! Thank you, America!”
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