Trump made the statement during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He said the US produces the best military equipment and confirmed that weapons would be sent to NATO. “They will be paying for them,” he added.
The US president said he believed a deal with Russia over the Ukraine war had been close “about four times,” but added, “I thought we should have had a deal done a long time ago, but it just keeps going on and on and on.” He also said he was “disappointed” in Russian President Vladimir Putin.Rutte said that Ukraine would receive a large volume of military aid under a new agreement with the United States.
“It will mean that Ukraine gets its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defense, but also missiles, ammunition,” Rutte said at the White House.
Trump added that the support included “billions of dollars” worth of weapons and munitions, including Patriot missile defence systems.
Trump began efforts to improve ties with Putin after starting his second term in January, aiming to fulfil his campaign promise to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours.
Last week, Trump had hinted at a Monday announcement on Russia. On Sunday, he confirmed the US would send additional Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine.
“Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” Trump said Sunday. He had used strong language about the Russian president earlier in the week.
The US also reversed its earlier decision to pause some weapons deliveries to Ukraine. A new agreement was announced under which NATO and the European Union would pay the US for certain military supplies provided to Ukraine.
