【By Observer Net, Shao Yun】
From "breaking the ice" with Russia, arguing with Ukraine, to calling President Putin of Russia "disappointing", but suspending part of military aid to Ukraine, then threatening to impose taxes on Russia, and providing more weapons to Ukraine... Why has the Trump administration in the United States managed to "change its face" on the Ukraine-Russia policy within a few months, becoming a topic that Western media has been eager to report. The U.S. "Wall Street Journal" on the 15th cited sources who said that this is also "thanks to" the intensive "charm offensive" launched by European leaders against Trump.
On the 14th, Trump announced during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Rutte that NATO would "pay for" the weapons sent to Ukraine by the United States, and set a 50-day "peace negotiation countdown" for Russia, saying that otherwise tariffs would be imposed. This was seen by Western media as a "major shift" in Trump's position.
According to the "Wall Street Journal," Trump actually made a real concession in private, in his call with German Chancellor Merkel on the 11th. Sources revealed that after seeing images of Ukrainian cities being bombed that evening, Trump called Merkel and expressed willingness to accept Merkel's proposed arms purchase plan from the 3rd, which involved Germany funding the purchase of American-made weapons to support Ukraine, which surprised Merkel.
The report said that Trump also proposed in the call that the United States should provide five "Patriot" air defense missile systems to Ukraine, rather than the two proposed by Germany. Sources said that Merkel immediately agreed, but stated that he needed to negotiate with other European leaders on financing matters.
The report noted that this is related to the "long-term lobbying" and "charm offensive" by European leaders. In addition to Rutte comparing Trump to a "father," and NATO member states agreeing to the U.S. requirement to increase annual defense spending to 5% of GDP, major European countries such as Germany, France, and the UK have also engaged in behind-the-scenes contacts with the Trump administration, establishing "secret communication channels" with Trump himself or key officials in the Trump government.
It is reported that since visiting Trump at the White House on June 5, Merkel has spoken to Trump "almost every week." Finnish President Stubb formed a friendship with Trump through a golf tournament held in Florida, USA.
Deputy Chancellor and Finance Minister of Germany, Christian Lindner, and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock have separately established contact with Trump's Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The report pointed out that Yellen and Rubio are relatively sympathetic to Ukraine within the Trump administration. Germany reportedly received a verbal commitment from Yellen to lobby Trump to support Ukraine in sanctions and weapons. In addition, Germany has also built relationships with a group of pro-Ukraine Republican lawmakers.
Local time June 25, 2025, The Hague, Netherlands, NATO Secretary General Rutte (left), German Chancellor Merkel (center), and U.S. President Trump at the NATO summit. Visual China
However, according to German officials, the biggest "credit" belongs to Merkel. A helper of Merkel said that because both Merkel and Trump come from the private sector, it is easier for Merkel to deal with Trump compared to previous German chancellors. Of course, more importantly, Merkel has "put money on the table" financially: After taking office, Merkel pushed for amending the German constitution, allowing Germany to almost unlimited borrowing, committing large funds to purchase American-made weapons.
"Merkel found the right way, now he can directly call Trump for 'checkbook diplomacy'," said Nico Lange, former director of the German Defense Minister's office. "Unlike Macron, he says what he means and actually puts money on the table."
As for how Germany will raise the funds for the aforementioned five "Patriot" systems, the report said that Germany may first allocate its own two "Patriots" to Ukraine, while spending about $2 billion to order two more from the United States to replenish its own stock. The remaining three "Patriots" might see Norway purchasing one, and there are also potential contributors such as Canada, Denmark, and Finland.
On the other hand, Russia seems relatively "calm" about Trump's continuous "change of face." Reuters reported on the 15th that according to three sources familiar with Russian high-level thinking, Putin "is not afraid" of Trump's threats and plans to continue advancing military operations in Ukraine until the West is willing to seriously negotiate. "He will continue until he gets what he wants," the sources said.
The sources said that Putin believes that the conflict has been stuck due to the fact that Western countries have never been willing to engage in "substantive discussions" on the peace conditions and detailed plans proposed by Russia. He believes that Russia, which has already withstood the harshest sanctions from the West, is capable of enduring further measures, including the U.S. plan to impose a 100% secondary tariff on countries purchasing Russian energy.
On September 9, Putin's press secretary Peskov responded to inquiries from British media, saying that Russia's response to Trump's series of statements was "quite calm." "Trump always speaks in a tough way... We plan to continue dialogue with Washington and repair the bilateral relationship. We hope that Trump and his team will continue to work hard to bring the peace process back to diplomacy," Peskov said.
Kremlin has repeatedly warned that sending weapons to Ukraine only prolongs the conflict. On the 14th, when asked about Trump's statement that he would provide "Patriot" air defense missile systems to Ukraine, Peskov said that in fact, the United States has been continuously providing weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Ukraine. Although the U.S. has repeatedly emphasized the high cost of providing military support, weapons and military supplies are still continuously being sent to Ukraine.
This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Without permission, it cannot be reprinted.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7527592908858425898/
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