Donald Trump is preparing to ramp up weapons sales to NATO allies so they can pass them on to Ukraine — with one of his top allies warning Vladimir Putin he badly miscalculated by trying to “play” the US leader. The US President made his frustration clear as he accused Vladimir Putin of “talking nice” and “bombing everybody” – adding: “I don’t like it.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will hold talks with Mr Trump in Washington this week, just days after the President confirmed plans to send advanced US-made arms to European partners. The move would allow the weapons to be transferred to Ukraine at speed while allies pay the bill in full. Mr Trump told reporters on Sunday night: “We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated (weapons) and they’re gonna pay us 100% for them.”
The plan signals a stark shift from Mr Trump’s previous position on the Ukraine war — which he once dismissed as a drain on US taxpayers — and comes as Republican Senator Lindsey Graham declared the President had had enough of Russia’s aggression.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Mr Graham said: “I expect in the coming days you will see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves. I expect in the coming days more support from Europe regarding their efforts to help Ukraine.
2Putin made a miscalculation here. For six months President Trump tried to entice Putin to the table. The attacks have gone up, not down. One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump.
“And you just watch — in the coming days and weeks there’s going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table.”
Mr Trump is also facing mounting pressure from both parties in Congress to back sweeping new sanctions on Russia’s oil industry, as well as legislation targeting countries that continue to prop up Moscow’s economy by buying its exports.
Mr Graham said: “The big offender here is China, India and Brazil. My goal is to end this war. And the only way you are going to end this war is to get people who prop up Putin — make them choose between the American economy and helping Putin.”
The proposed law, co-sponsored by Mr Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, would impose tariffs of up to 500% on goods imported from any country that continues to buy Russian oil, gas or uranium — with Beijing squarely in the crosshairs.
French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Sunday that European leaders had been urging Washington to include air defence capabilities in any new package. He admitted France is currently unable to deliver additional missile systems to Ukraine and won’t be able to fill the gap until next year.
Mr Trump’s shift comes as Ukraine continues to face waves of Russian drone and missile strikes, with Kyiv in urgent need of interceptor systems and ammunition.
Senator Blumenthal said there was growing unity on both sides of the Atlantic: “What I think is most important right now is our unity.”
However, the President has yet to formally endorse the sanctions bill. While there is overwhelming support for the move in the Senate, Republican leadership has been waiting for Mr Trump’s green light before pushing it forward.
He is reportedly seeking broader executive authority over when and how to lift any of the penalties once imposed.
Mr Graham has argued Mr Trump would still have the flexibility to act decisively, including the ability to waive sanctions for 180 days at a time.
As for Mr Trump’s own stance on Putin, the President offered a blunt assessment on Sunday, telling Fox News: “He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening. I don’t like it.”
He has teased a “major statement” on Russia in the coming days, but declined to give further details ahead of meetings with Mr Rutte and senior Cabinet officials.
