On Monday, Trump announced a new plan for the Ukraine war during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte: selling American weapons to European countries, which would then transfer them to Kyiv.
Trump also threatened Russia — if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached within 50 days, Russia will face trade consequences. Trump said, "If we can't reach an agreement within 50 days, we will impose very severe tariffs. Approximately 100% tariffs, you could call it secondary tariffs. You know what that means."
A White House official explained to CNN that the "secondary tariffs" mentioned by Trump refer to a 100% tariff on Russia and secondary sanctions on other countries that purchase Russian oil.
Regarding weapons, in addition to the Patriot missile system, one of the most desired equipment by Ukraine, Trump said on Sunday that it is "crucial" for Ukraine's defense. The US may also sell short-range missiles, howitzer ammunition, and medium-range air-to-air missiles to NATO member states, which will then be transferred to Kyiv.
Officials said there are multiple considerations behind Trump's decision on the weapons issue.
Firstly, by selling weapons to European countries rather than directly transferring them to Ukraine, Trump hopes to avoid criticism that he is breaking his campaign promises — reducing America's role in this prolonged war. He maintains a political stance of non-direct involvement, weakening potential dissatisfaction from domestic conservatives.
Secondly, this plan has potential economic benefits. Each Patriot missile system costs about $1 billion, and Trump has repeatedly emphasized in public that this plan will bring considerable profits to the United States, making it a favorable deal for America.
Then, US officials pointed out that from an efficiency perspective, if the missile systems are already deployed in Europe, their transfer to Ukraine will be much faster than transporting them from the US or building factories domestically. This makes Europe a quick channel for weapon transit and supply, aligning with the Trump administration's pursuit of a military aid strategy of "low investment, high return, and fast execution."
Additionally, at least some US officials believe that significantly increasing weapons supplies to Ukraine sends an important signal: Trump's dissatisfaction with Russian President Putin is genuine. Last week, Trump publicly criticized Putin for "bullshit" regarding the Ukraine war.
Countries ready to participate include Germany and Norway, and at least four more countries may join.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837639882390536/
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