Trump threatens Russia with tariffs while unveiling new Ukraine weapons plan
Trump threatens Russia with tariffs while unveiling new Ukraine weapons plan
US President Donald Trump has announced the US will send "top-of-the-line weapons" to Ukraine via Nato countries, while also threatening Russia with severe tariffs if a deal to end the war is not reached within 50 days.
"We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do," Trump said following a meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte in Washington.
Rutte confirmed the US had decided to "massively supply Ukraine with what is necessary through Nato" and that the Europeans would foot the bill.
European countries will send Kyiv their own Patriot air defence systems - which Ukraine relies on to repel Russia's deadly air strikes - and replacements will then be issued by the US, Trump said.
That last paragraph concerns me. Europe ships its Patriot missiles first before the US supplies more. It wouldn't surprise me that by then Trump will change his mind and not supply the replacement Patriots resulting in leaving the door open for Putin.
For the record, MBDA has also stood up an assembly line for PAC-2 GEM-T missiles (amongst other things) in Schrobenhausen, Germany. So there’s at least an alternative supply line for that particular model. Yes I know the logistics are complicated and a lot of US components are still used, but worst comes to worst, I don’t think the EU would have too hard of a time finding regional alternatives if our government decides to pull the rug on technical support for that (which would have much greater and more far reaching implications than a single PAC-2 assembly line).
Alternatively nothing or everything that the Trump administration does surprises me. I'm sure there are more holes in this "plan", esp. for Europe. But apparently once again our dear leaders cling to the old paradigm of "the USA, our trusty big brother".