Key Points and Summary – President Trump has executed a stunning reversal on Ukraine policy, moving to “dramatically increase” weapons shipments just days after a controversial pause.
-Frustrated by stalled peace talks and a “fruitless” call with Vladimir Putin, Trump is now backing a plan to sell arms to NATO allies for transfer to Kyiv.
Trump Makes a Big Change on Ukraine Policy
Just weeks after the Pentagon announced a brief pause on weapons deliveries to Ukraine, not only has that pause been stopped, but new weapons for Ukraine have now been approved, President Trump announced Monday in a major shift.
Per Axios, the president has announced that the U.S. will “dramatically increase” weapons deliveries to European allies, who will subsequently send them to Ukraine. The weapons will include “missiles, air defense weaponry and artillery shells”- offensive, rather than specifically defensive weapons.
Axios did not report on the specifics of which weapons will be delivered, although the outlet did say that “the plan would include long-range missiles that could strike deep inside Russia.”
A CNN report provided some indications of what Ukraine will get.
“As for the weapons, in addition to Patriot missile batteries — the top item on Kyiv’s wish list and one Trump said Sunday was vital to Ukraine’s defenses — the US could also sell short-range missiles, Howitzer rounds and medium-range air-to-air missiles to NATO members, which would then be transferred to Ukraine, a person familiar with the deliberations said,” the report said.
The announcement came in a White House announcement along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Per the report, this scenario had been laid out to Ukraine’s leadership during the NATO summit last month, and that “as Trump grew increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly after their fruitless July 3 phone call, the idea started to turn into a reality.”
“Mr. Rutte has been coordinating European efforts to send Ukraine more weapons to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. Under the arrangement, NATO would buy American weapons and pass them on to Kyiv,” the New York Times reported on how the weapons delivery will work.
A Tariff Threat
Beyond that, Trump has combined the promise of new weapons with one of his favorite policy levers- tariff threats. Trump has given Russia a 50-day deadline to make a deal, or face 100 percent “secondary tariffs,” presumably directed at countries such as China and India that purchase Russian oil, as Russia is already subjected to sanctions.
A bill in the Senate, pushed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a Trump ally more aligned with the hawkish wing of the Republican Party, had threatened secondary tariffs, in a scheme similar to the one now on the table from Trump. However, Graham’s bill put that number at 500 percent, which Trump has denounced as too high.
At any rate, the scheme announced Monday represents a marked shift from how Trump was speaking in the early days of his second presidency, when he promised he would deliver a peace deal on or near his first day back in office. And throughout Trump’s first presidency, Trump was frequently solicitous towards Putin and skeptical of NATO.
By February, he and Vice President JD Vance were dressing down Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, and indicating to him that the war couldn’t be won. At times, Trump indicated that he was eager to end the war and improve U.S. relations with Russia after years of sanctions.
Where Russia Stands Now
Russia has indicated, in recent months, that it is not interested in a peaceful solution to the war, at least in the near term.
At the start of June, representatives of Russia and Ukraine met for talks in Istanbul, but the talks were brief, with Russia reportedly demanding massive land concessions, a promise of neutrality, and other demands that Ukraine was virtually certain to not accept.
In the months since, the war has only intensified, with Russia launching frequent drone attacks on Ukrainian territory.
In contrast, Ukraine launched a daring drone attack of its own in early June.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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