President Donald Trump plans to sell weapons to United States allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) so that these can be allocated to Ukraine's defense against Russian bombings.
The information was reported exclusively by Axios, whose sources have indicated that the new package will include weapons to strengthen the air defense of the Slavic country.
The new scheme was outlined among the heads of state during the NATO summit that took place at the end of June in the city of The Hague, where Trump met personally with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump se reúne con Putin durante su primer mandato
Trump makes Europe pay for the weapons
Since Russia invaded in 2022, the Republican leader has rejected the policy of his predecessor Joe Biden, which consisted of providing Ukraine with endless weapons and ammunition using presidential powers without first seeking Congressional authorization.
More importantly, the former president supplied these weapons at zero cost and did not require European countries to also contribute to Ukraine's defense, thus compromising the United States Army's weapons reserves.
For this reason, since Trump took office in January, only small arms disbursements have been authorized and no new package signed by the new administration has been implemented.
With this new scheme devised by the Trump administration, Europe doesn't escape its obligations by paying for weapons whose ultimate destination is Ukraine's defense, and a necessary response is given to Putin's renewed offensive.
"What we're doing is that the weapons being sold go to NATO, and then NATO is going to give those weapons to Ukraine, and NATO is paying for those weapons," clarified an official.
Trump junto con líderes europeos en la Cumbre
The White House continues to seek peace
The government insists that this announcement doesn't imply a shift in foreign policy, and that Trump remains determined to peacefully conclude the conflict. "We want to get out of Ukraine", officials in the White House corridors respond.
Nevertheless, the large-scale attacks ordered by Putin recently, which involve a barrage of drones and missiles fired daily at Ukrainian territory, have changed the equation.
Russian intransigence has disappointed Trump, who since his arrival in Washington has held a series of conversations with the Kremlin leader in order to put an end to a war that began under Biden's administration and has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands.
Despite these high-level talks taking place, Putin has intensified his bombings and has refused to agree to a truce, hoping that his forces will capture more Ukrainian territory on the battlefield.
