Trump announces major military support for Ukraine, issues ultimatum to Putin
As Russian attacks on Ukraine continue to escalate, President Donald Trump is expressing growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(NBC)-As Russian attacks on Ukraine continue to escalate, President Donald Trump is expressing growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin—and unveiling a new plan to bolster Ukraine’s defenses.
“We want to see it end. And I’m disappointed in President Putin,” Trump said during a joint appearance with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
In a marked shift in tone and policy, President Trump announced that the United States will re-arm Ukraine through a complex deal involving NATO allies. Billions of dollars’ worth of advanced U.S.-made weapons, including Patriot air defense systems, will be sold to European NATO countries and then transferred to Ukraine.
“We’re going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they’ll be sent to NATO,” Trump said. “We’re going to have some come very soon—within days, actually.”
Alongside the military push, Trump issued a stark ultimatum: Russia has 50 days to agree to a ceasefire or face sweeping new economic penalties. The president said the U.S. would impose “secondary tariffs”—a move that would punish countries that continue to do business with Russia, particularly in oil and commodity exports.
“We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” he warned. “It’s very simple, and they’ll be at 100%.”
President Trump also gave his support to a bipartisan sanctions bill in Congress aimed at increasing pressure on the Kremlin. However, he suggested the legislation might not be necessary if his own measures succeed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly thanked Trump for the support, in a brief moment of unity amid the ongoing war.
The moves mark a significant change in stance for Trump, who has long emphasized his personal relationship with Putin and once promised to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office.
