President Trump and NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte announced a sweeping new arms deal today, promising to supply Ukraine with billions in weaponry and impose severe economic penalties on Russia if it fails to halt its aggression.
The agreement, described by Rutte as “really big,” involves the U.S. selling Patriot missile systems and other advanced weaponry to NATO allies like Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and the Netherlands. Those allies will fully finance the purchases, allowing NATO to swiftly transfer arms to Ukraine.
President Trump issued a blunt 50‑day ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin: reach a peace deal with Ukraine or face “100%” secondary tariffs on Russian exports, targeting not just Moscow but third‑party countries trading with Russia.
Trump expressed frustration with Putin’s repeated attacks, saying diplomatic overtures were followed by missile strikes, noting, “He talks nice… then he bombs everybody.” He emphasized that Europe’s contribution marks a fundamental shift in burden‑sharing and that American factories will produce weapons while Europe shoulders the payment.
The United Kingdom’s envoy Rutte framed the deal as an extension of NATO’s commitment made at last month’s The Hague summit to boost defense budgets to 5% of GDP, calling the move “logical” and the first wave of more to come.
Ukraine welcomed the announcement, citing Patriot missile systems as vital for protection against Russian attacks, though some Ukrainian leaders warned that waiting 50 days may allow Russia to intensify offensives. Moscow, however, dismissed the threat, calling it largely symbolic and predicting minimal impact.
Domestically, Trump’s move gained bipartisan backing. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal voiced support for the tariffs. Commerce Secretary clarified the threats are sanction‑based, not tariffs, but aim to isolate Russia’s economy.
