By Katabella Roberts
President Donald Trump said on July 10 that he has struck a new deal with NATO under which the United States will supply weapons to Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia, adding that the alliance will pay for the weapons.
Trump made the comments during an interview with NBC News, where he also expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the lack of progress toward ending the conflict, which began in February 2022.
“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100 percent,” Trump said. “So what we’re doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons to Ukraine, and NATO is paying for those weapons.”
Trump said the deal was finalized during the NATO summit last month.
“We send weapons to NATO, and NATO is going to reimburse the full cost of those weapons,” he added.
Trump also said he plans to make a major statement about Russia on July 14. He declined to provide further details regarding the statement.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed he had spoken to Trump earlier in the day and is “now working closely with Allies to get Ukraine the help they need.”
“Russia’s continued massive attacks against Ukrainian civilians are deplorable,” Rutte wrote in a statement on social media platform X. “Earlier today I urged leaders to go further so Ukraine has more ammunition & air defenses.”
Rutte did not mention the reported deal that has been reached with the Trump administration.
The Epoch Times has contacted a NATO spokesperson for further comment.
The Pentagon said on July 7 that it is sending more defensive weapons to Ukraine as the Eastern European country has been pounded by heavy Russian drone and missile strikes in recent days, with many of the attacks primarily targeting the capital of Kyiv.
In a statement, the Department of Defense said, “At President Trump’s direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.”
The Pentagon did not state which weapons would be sent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems, which he sees as critical to the nation’s defense amid intensifying Russian air strikes.
Speaking at a press conference on July 10 after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration is talking to countries in Europe about sharing Patriot batteries with Ukraine.
“There are other Patriot batteries and there are other opportunities. Countries that have ordered Patriot batteries that are about to receive shipments of them, it’d be great if one of them volunteered to defer that shipment and send it to Ukraine instead,” Rubio said.
Rubio added that Washington is looking for “creative ways” to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons.
The Trump administration has so far only sent weapons to Kyiv that were authorized by former President Joe Biden.
The latest decision to send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine comes after Washington paused shipments of some arms to the country on July 2 as part of what the Pentagon said was a capability review to ensure that military aid aligns with U.S. defense priorities.
Ukraine had expressed concern that a pause in shipments could hinder its ability to defend itself against Russia amid intensifying Russian advances.
Trump had defended the decision while criticizing his predecessor, whom he accused of having prioritized Ukraine’s defense over that of the United States.
“Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves,” Trump told reporters on July 3.
The White House has been contacted for further comment.
