Getty ImagesUS President Donald Trump announced that the United States will send “top weapons” to Ukraine through NATO countries, and at the same time, if no war agreement is reached within 50 days, it will also threaten to threaten Russia with serious tariffs.
“We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants,” Trump said after meeting with NATO Chief Mark Rutte in Washington.
Rutte confirmed that the United States has decided to “provide Ukraine on a large scale what NATO is necessary” and that Europeans will pay.
Trump said European countries will send their own Patriot air defense systems – Ukraine relies on Russia’s deadly air strikes – and will then be issued by the United States.
Neither Rutt nor Trump elaborated on the weapons to be sent to Kiev, but Rutt said the deal included “missiles and ammunition.”
But the president did say the “highest weapon” worth billions of dollars – will be “quickly distributed to the battlefield” to support Ukraine.
“If I were Vladimir Putin today… I would reconsider whether I shouldn’t take Ukraine more seriously,” Trump said as he nodded.
On the tariffs, Trump said that if a peace agreement is reached with Ukraine within 50 days, the United States will impose 100% secondary tariffs on Russia’s remaining trading partners.
If you are going to sell its products to the United States, you can see that any country dealing with Russia faces taxes.
For example, if India continues to buy oil from Russia, then the U.S. company that buys Indian goods will have to pay 100% import tax or tariffs when the product reaches the U.S. coast.
This will make the goods so expensive that American businesses may choose to buy them easily from elsewhere, resulting in lost revenue in India.
The purpose is also to solve the Russian economy. In theory, if Moscow could not make money by selling oil to other countries, it would also have less money in the war in Ukraine.
Given that oil and gas account for almost one-third of Moscow’s country’s revenue and over 60% of its exports, a 100% tariff could become Russia’s financial position.
Still, the Moscow Stock Exchange index rose sharply after the announcement, which is likely to be a “major statement” that investors expect Trump to mock Russia last week to ensure even tougher measures.
While details about tariffs and NATO weapons agreements were scarce, Monday was the first time Trump has made new military equipment to Ukraine since returning to the White House.
ReutersThe briefing is also eye-catching in the tone of the US president.
It is not the first time Trump has suggested that Kiev has taken some responsibility for Russia’s decision to start a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
But he seemed frustrated by the lack of progress to end the conflict, which he once thought was easy to resolve.
Asked about his relationship with Putin, Trump said the two said “a lot about getting it done” but he expressed displeasure at the fact that the “very good call” with the Russian president followed by frequent devastating air strikes on Ukraine – with increasing intensity and frequency.
“After that, you said three or four times: The conversation doesn’t mean anything,” Trump said.
He added: “I don’t want to call him an assassin, but he’s a strong man. It’s proven over the years, and he’s cheating on a lot of people – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden.” “He didn’t cheat on me. At some point, conversation doesn’t speak, it must be action.”
Two rounds of ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this year, but no other meeting schedule so far – Moscow blamed Kiev.
Ukrainian President Zelensky is currently hosting U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg in Kiev and praised a “productive meeting” earlier on Monday – saying he was “grateful” for Trump’s support.
The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the announcement – but Moscow’s comments seemed to indicate a measure of relief.
Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin expert and former Putin aide, called the tariffs a “bluff” indicating Trump “abandoned his attempt to achieve peace in Ukraine.”
Senator Konstantin Kosachev argued: “If this is what Trump said to Ukraine today, then so far, that’s all right.
Within 50 days, many people may change the mood of “the battlefield, as well as the strength of the United States and NATO,” the Xhosa Hall wrote.
Other reports by Dearbail Jordan
