US President Donald Trump has announced new military aid for Ukraine and threatened tariffs on Russia’s trading partners, aiming to end the war in 50 days, according to The Hill. During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said Europe would pay for advanced US weapons like Patriot missile systems to help defend Kyiv from Russian attacks.
“These weapons can move quickly to Kyiv,” Trump said.
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, the U.S. has given Ukraine over $175 billion in aid, mostly under the Biden administration. The Hill noted that Trump paused intelligence sharing and defensive weapons deliveries during his term, prompting concerns about the consistency of U.S. support.
After previously labelling President Zelensky “ungrateful,” Trump has changed his stance, now criticizing President Putin for misleading U.S. leaders and attacking Ukrainian cities.
On Monday, Zelensky met with Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, in Kyiv. In a statement, Zelensky expressed appreciation for “signals of support” from President Trump and noted that Ukraine values the “support of the American people.”
GOP members backing Ukraine aid welcomed the announcement, with Senator Lindsey Graham calling the weapons and tariff threats a “turning point,” according to The Hill. However, some MAGA-aligned Republicans remain wary of US involvement in Ukraine, and Trump is already facing pushback within his party over other Justice Department and FBI issues.
According to The Hill, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dismissed Trump’s threat as “a theatrical ultimatum,” stating that “Russia didn’t care.”
