Donald Trump has agreed to ship “top of the line weapons” to NATO to help Ukraine – and threatened Russia with “severe” tariffs if it would not agree to finish the battle.
Talking with NATO secretary basic Mark Rutte throughout a gathering on the White Home, the US president mentioned: “We have made a deal as we speak the place we’re going to be sending them weapons, and they will be paying for them.
“This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment which is going to be purchased from the United States,” he added, “going to NATO, and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield.”
Weapons being despatched embody surface-to-air Patriot missile programs and batteries, which Ukraine has requested for to defend itself from Russian air strikes.
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Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump additionally mentioned he was “very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened “severe tariffs” of “about 100%” if there is not a deal to finish the battle in Ukraine inside 50 days.
The White Home added that the US would put “secondary sanctions” on international locations that purchase oil from Russia if an settlement was not reached.
Afterward Monday, Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Mr Trump and mentioned he was “grateful” for the US president’s “readiness to help protect our people’s lives”.
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After criticising Vladimir Putin’s “desire to drag it out,” he mentioned he appreciated “preparing a new decision on Patriots for Ukraine,” and added Kyiv is “working on major defence agreements with America”.
It comes after weeks of frustration from Mr Trump towards Mr Putin’s refusal to comply with an finish to the battle, with the Russian chief telling the US president he would “not back down” from Moscow’s targets in Ukraine at the beginning of the month.
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Trump says Putin ‘talks good after which bombs everyone’
Throughout the briefing on Monday, Mr Trump mentioned he had held calls with Mr Putin the place he would assume “that was a nice phone call,” however then “missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city, and that happens three or four times”.
“I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy,” he added.
Earlier this yr, Mr Trump advised Mr Zelenskyy “you’re gambling with World War Three” in a fiery White Home assembly, and recommended Ukraine began the battle towards Russia as he sought to barter an finish to the battle.
After Mr Trump’s briefing, Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev mentioned on Telegram: “If this is all that Trump had in mind to say about Ukraine today, then all the steam has gone out.”
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In the meantime, Mr Zelenskyy met with US particular envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv, the place they “discussed the path to peace” by “strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe”.
He thanked each the envoy for the go to and Mr Trump “for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries”.
