NATO cash, American weapons: Will Trump's plan work for Ukraine

Key questions

• How does the US and NATO plan to help Ukraine with weapons?
• Who is behind Trump's idea to supply weapons to Ukraine?
• Why didn't all European countries support Trump's idea?

Ukraine will receive American weapons, but NATO countries will pay for them, Trump said on Monday at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. This was a radical change in the White House's position, which, from the first days of Trump's presidency, ruled out military aid to Kyiv to reach an agreement with Moscow.

We are talking about a huge amount of military equipment, which will include air defense systems, missiles, and ammunition, the NATO secretary general said at the time. According to him, a number of countries, including Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Britain, the Netherlands, and Canada, are already ready to join the supplies.

Three days have passed, but neither NATO nor the US has provided any official details, and there are increasingly conflicting reports in the Western media about how the mechanism will work. Meanwhile, several European countries have publicly stated that they do not plan to buy American weapons for Ukraine. But they do not plan to sit idly by either.

Trump's idea

According to Axios, NATO countries will purchase $10 billion worth of American weapons for Ukraine. And this is only the first stage. Among the weapons that American arms manufacturers may sell are long-range missiles so that Ukrainian troops can strike deep into Russia's rear.

The weapons that NATO countries can purchase for Ukraine are already in storage and ready for immediate shipment, The New York Times reported, citing American officials. However, according to Reuters, Trump's plan is for European countries to send their existing weapons to Ukraine and then buy new ones from the US.

In addition, Trump announced the delivery of as many as 17 Patriot systems to Ukraine, which, according to him, are available in one of the NATO countries. Several of them are allegedly already on their way. But here, too, there is a discrepancy. According to Reuters sources, no one except the US has that many systems. So, it is unclear what Trump meant when he talked about Patriot batteries, missiles, or individual launchers.

Trump announced new Patriots for Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)

Moreover, Germany says it knows nothing about the systems that are allegedly already on their way to Ukraine. It is expected that this week, countries that have Patriot systems on their balance sheets will meet to discuss air defense for Ukraine. At the same time, the commander of NATO forces in Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, assured that he is actively working with Germany to ensure that Ukraine receives the systems as soon as possible.

Perhaps Trump simply does not know the details of the mechanism he announced, but he only took advantage of someone else's initiative to look like a strong leader. As Der Spiegel and Politico wrote, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is behind the idea of buying American weapons for Ukraine.

Back in April, Pistorius offered Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to purchase several Patriot systems for Ukraine at German expense, but received no response at the time. Since then, the German minister has repeatedly returned to this topic, including during his visit to Washington on July 14. It was on that day that Trump abruptly changed his public position.

In any case, this initiative is beneficial for Ukraine, notes Serhii Dzherdzh, head of the Ukraine-NATO League, in a conversation with RBC-Ukraine. "Trump has taken the first steps. So there will be more to come. Our task, together with our partners, is to lobby for these steps. Therefore, Trump's decision can be seen as an absolutely positive step," he adds.

Pistorius proposed that the US sell weapons to Germany for Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)

In addition, the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine will allow NATO allies to at least partially fulfill their commitment to increase defense spending. Assistance to Ukraine, as stated in the decision of the NATO summit in The Hague, is part of the 5% of GDP spending that must be achieved by 2035. And this was also Trump's demand.

"What does Trump get? Europe has taken on more responsibility for its security and support for Ukraine, and there will be new contracts for American manufacturers. This is the plan he is currently working on. Whether he will implement it 100%, 10%, or 0% remains to be seen," says Dmytro Zhmaylo, executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.

Why not everyone in EU supported Trump's idea

So far, Germany, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden have publicly agreed to purchase American weapons for Ukraine. A number of countries that, according to Trump and Rutte, are also ready to join the initiative did not even know about it, according to Western media reports.

"It is my clear sense that nobody has been briefed about the exact details in advance," said a separate European ambassador. "I also suspect that internally in the administration, they are only now beginning to sort out what it means in practice," a European ambassador told Reuters.

However, some European countries have already publicly stated that they do not plan to join Trump's proposal. These are Czechia, Italy, and France. Prague plans to continue its initiative to supply Ukraine with artillery shells, Rome does not have the money but is ready to help with logistics, and France will buy weapons from European companies.

France will not buy American weapons for Ukraine (photo: president.gov.ua)

But there is no betrayal in the fact that certain EU countries will not buy American weapons for Ukraine. Such countries, in particular France, have their military-industrial complex and will invest in its development, Dmytro Zhmailo told the agency.

"There is no need to get triggered. Some countries will buy American weapons for us, such as Norway. Other countries will think about how to support their manufacturers and purchase weapons for their defense and, accordingly, for Ukraine. Or quickly transfer them from their warehouses and then replace them," he explains.

It does not matter what kind of weapons will be supplied to Ukraine, whether American or European, notes Serhii Dzherdzh.

"The main thing is that they are there. If we are talking about weapons that are only produced in the US, then Trump's formula will work, and we will be able to get them," he concludes.

However, it is difficult to draw any conclusions or make any predictions until the first American weapons purchased with NATO money reach Ukrainian soldiers. And although there are currently no specifics regarding the mechanism, the very change in Trump's public rhetoric is already a positive sign for Ukraine, as the American president is finally ceasing to engage with Putin.

According to Dmytro Zhmaylo, the visit to Kyiv by US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, an old Reagan hawk who is not tolerated in Russia, indicates that the initiatives of the peace party led by Steve Witkoff, if not failed, are definitely on hold. However, according to Zhmailo, it should not be forgotten that Trump's political statements often remain just statements.

Sources: US President Donald Trump, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, publications by Axios, The New York Times, Reuters, Der Spiegel, and Politico, as well as comments by Dmytro Zhmailo, executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, and Serhii Dzherdzh, head of the Ukraine-NATO League.