President Donald Trump is set to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington this week, as anticipation builds for a “major statement” on Russia and the war in Ukraine. The meeting, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, comes amid escalating conflict in Eastern Europe and shifting US policy on military support for Kyiv.
Trump’s approach to Russia has grown notably more critical in recent days. Speaking to reporters, the president said, “I am very disappointed with [Russian] President Putin and I thought that he was somebody that meant what he said. He’ll talk so beautifully and then he’ll bomb people at night. We don’t like that”. This marks a clear departure from the more conciliatory tone Trump used with Putin earlier this year.
At the center of this week’s agenda is a new weapons deal for Ukraine. Trump has confirmed that the US will send Patriot missile defense systems and other advanced weaponry to Kyiv, but with a significant change: the cost will be fully covered by European allies, not by the US directly.
“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100 per cent. 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 explained.
The arrangement is part of a broader effort to boost Ukraine’s faltering air defenses as Russian airstrikes intensify. Last month saw the highest casualty rates in Ukraine in nearly three years, according to the United Nations.
The US had recently paused some weapons shipments, but Trump has since reversed course, citing the need for Ukraine to defend itself: “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves,” he said.
Trump’s meeting with Rutte is also expected to address possible new sanctions against Russia. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been preparing a package of punitive measures, including using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine purchase additional military equipment and penalizing countries that continue to buy Russian energy. Trump has hinted that his “major statement” could include such steps, though details remain under wraps.
The upcoming talks mark the first meeting between Trump and Rutte since the recent NATO summit in The Hague. Rutte will also meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and members of Congress, including key senators behind the sanctions package.
As the war in Ukraine intensifies and Western unity is tested, Trump’s actions this week—both in weapons transfers and diplomatic messaging—are poised to have significant implications for the conflict’s next phase and for US-European relations
