Trump announces new Ukraine weapons plan, threatens tariffs on Russia

The Trump administration will send advanced weaponry to Ukraine, paid for by European countries, President Donald Trump said Monday as he also threatened “secondary tariffs” against Russia.

The announcements represented Trump’s most significant moves to support Kyiv and came after he repeatedly expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued bombardment of Ukraine.

Until Monday, Trump had largely held back from opening the U.S. arsenal for Ukraine, avoiding putting his fingerprint on a conflict that he often said was “Biden’s war.”

Although he said again Monday that “this is not Trump’s war,” the plans he unveiled amounted to a U.S. effort to bolster Ukraine’s military and impose tough economic consequences on Russia if Putin doesn’t soon halt the conflict. The efforts would build on – and go beyond – those by former president Joe Biden and would effectively back Ukraine in the war, with Europeans footing the bill.

The new weapons will include Patriot air defense systems, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long sought, saying they are key to protecting cities and other targets.

The plan envisions European countries sending weaponry, including the Patriot systems, to Ukraine out of their stocks so the weapons could be used immediately, Trump said. Those countries would then purchase replacements from the U.S. military industry.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, visiting the White House Monday, told reporters the deal involved “missiles and ammunition,” without specifying what else would be purchased and supplied. Ukraine’s U.S. and European backers have rushed to bolster their production capacity of air defense interceptors and 155mm artillery shells.

“There’s a very big deal we’ve made. This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment (which) is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO, etcetera, and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield,” Trump said Monday in the Oval Office, speaking alongside Rutte, who will help oversee a NATO-wide purchasing effort of U.S.-made weaponry for Ukraine.

In his remarks, Trump offered more sympathy toward Ukrainians than he previously has.

“Say what you want about Ukraine. When the war started, they had no chance,” Trump said. “They fought with tremendous courage, and they continue to fight with tremendous courage.”

And he had harsh words for Putin: “I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy.”

The decision came weeks after the Pentagon briefly paused military aid for Ukraine, continuing an approach to the conflict that has blown hot and cold toward Kyiv since Trump came into office vowing to end the war in a day.

The fresh approach was met with relief in Kyiv, which has been buffeted by the back and forth from Washington in recent weeks as Russia has increased deadly aerial attacks.

Trump’s Ukraine envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, visited Ukraine on Monday for meetings with top leaders there, giving a bear hug to Zelenskyy’s chief of staff upon arriving in the capital’s central train station.

Zelenskyy posted an upbeat message after meeting Kellogg, saying they “discussed the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer. This includes strengthening air defense for Ukraine, joint production, and purchasing defense weapons together with Europe. And of course, sanctions against Russia and those who help it.”

Zelenskyy has long sought more Patriot systems for Ukraine’s defense. The Biden administration sent several, but ultimately stopped after the Pentagon said offering more would hit U.S. military readiness beyond acceptable levels.

Germany will send Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine as it purchases replacements from the United States, a senior White House official said after the meeting, speaking on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly about internal discussions. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is in Washington and will meet Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later Monday. Zelenskyy said this weekend that Norway will also send a battery.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew G. Whitaker will work out some of the details with allies in Brussels, Trump said.

Trump expressed frustration at the way Putin has engaged with him, and vowed the “secondary tariffs” of 100% against Russia if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days.

The White House official said the plan is expected to be a 100% tax on the import of Russian goods, along with secondary 100% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, gas and other energy products.

Trump said Putin offers friendly talk in conversations, but then turns around and attacks Ukraine.

Last week, Russia launched more than 1,800 drones, 1,200 glide bombs and 83 missiles at Ukraine, Zelenskyy said Sunday.

“I speak to (Putin) a lot about getting this thing done,” Trump said, “and I always hang up and say, ‘Well, that was a nice phone call.’ And then missiles launched into Kyiv or some other city. After that happens three or four times, you say, the talk doesn’t mean anything.”

Trump said he had spoken to his wife, Melania, about the contrast.

One night, he said, “I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘And I spoke with Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ She said, ‘Oh, really, another city was just hit …’ At a certain point, you know, ultimately, talk doesn’t talk. It’s got to be action. It’s got to be results.”

Lizzie Johnson and Anastacia Galouchka in Kyiv and Ellen Francis in Brussels contributed to this report.