Trump is developing a new plan for weapon programs to Ukraine

Trump is developing a new plan for weapon programs to Ukraine

After President Donald Trump won the last election, European officials began to discuss quickly how to use the US weapon deliveries can maintain the promised to the American support. Eight months later, the results of this plan show, since Trump now agrees to sell US weapons to European nations, which then forward them to Kiev. The president is expected to announce the plan on Monday in a meeting with NATO general secretary Mark Rutte.

arms deliveries to Ukraine

In addition to the Patriot rocket batteries-the main point on Kiev's wish list and a system that Trump described on Sunday as decisive for the defense of Ukraine-the USA could also sell short-range missiles, shadow floors and medium-sized air-air rockets to NATO members, which then passed on to Ukraine. The considerations behind Trump's decision are complex, according to the officials. By selling weapons to European nations instead of transferring them directly to Ukraine, Trump hopes to withdraw political criticism that he violates his polling promise to reduce the US role in this year-long conflict.

financial considerations and speed

Trump also expects a financial profit: Each Patriot rocket defense system costs about $ 1 billion, and he has already announced profits for the USA as part of the plan. American officials have also found that it would be faster to bring the Patriot systems to Ukraine when they are already in Europe instead of transporting them from the United States or producing them in a US factory.

a signal to Moscow

At least from the perspective of some US officials, the provision of an increase in new weapons to Ukraine could send a signal to Moscow that Trump is serious about his frustrations with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the US President described as "dizziness" last week. "He is seriously frustrated with Putin," said a US official. "He wants to show that he is serious to end the war, and maybe the Putin will show that it is time to start negotiations."

development of the plan

The plan was seriously during the NATO-THEPFELS in the Netherlands, where Trump with European leadership personality and the Ukrainian president met in conversations that were described as surprisingly productive by informed people. However, the origins of the plan go back months after Trump won the choice, which the US support for Kiev . In this phase, European civil servants began to think about ways to maintain arms aid for Ukraine, even if Trump was supposed to reduce Washington's role, as he had promised as a candidate.

details of the implementation

In the past two weeks, officials in the United States and Europe have worked on the details of the plan. NATO does not send weapons to Ukraine itself, but acts as a clearing point that coordinates the deliveries of individual countries. The mechanism for the transfer of weapons could include that European nations transferred weapons that they have already bought from the United States and fill them up with new purchases. Or you could acquire new US weapons for immediate transfer to Ukraine.

international participation

The countries that want to take part in the initiative are Germany and Norway. Officials reported that at least four other countries will probably join. Trump spoke to the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz last week, and Merz said in the conversation that he would strive for the US transmission of the systems to Germany so that they can be passed on to Ukraine. On Thursday, Trump also spoke to Rutte to discuss the initiative and to set plans for visiting the Secretary General in the White House on Monday.

Ukraines urgent need for defense systems

Rutte later spoke to high-ranking US military officers, including Defense Minister Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss further details of the plan. In this conversation, Rutte said that he received several news from European countries who are interested in participating. Ukraine has explained that it needs 10 new patriot systems to protect itself against Russia's increasing attack by rockets and drones. At the NATO meeting in the Netherlands, the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj Trump and other leaders presented a list of weapon systems that his country needs to defend itself against the Russian invasion, according to a US official.

Trump has already approved some of the points.