US ‘moving at haste' to get Ukraine weapons under Trump plan: envoy
'We are all moving with haste to facilitate this and get this done, and, you know, I think things are actually moving very quickly,' US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told journalists.
'But I can't verify a date that this will all be completed.'
Trump on Monday announced a deal with NATO chief Mark Rutte for European NATO states to buy US weaponry – particularly advanced Patriot systems – and give it to Kyiv.
The move marked a pivot for the US leader as his patience has worn thin with Russia's President Vladimir Putin for frustrating efforts to halt the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine's drones target Moscow, other regions, Russia's defence ministry says
European countries – including Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden – have expressed willingness to buy the weaponry for Kyiv.
But questions have been raised over where the systems will come from and how soon they can get to Ukraine as the war-torn country faces unprecedented Russian bombardments.
Whitaker said that there was an 'ongoing conversation' about whether the United States would sell Patriots already available in its own military stockpiles.
'We're never going to put the United States at a strategic disadvantage, and we're going to make sure that we have everything we need,' he said.
'At the same time, I think we all acknowledge the desperate requirements that Ukraine currently, immediately needs on the battlefield and to protect their cities.'
Other options mooted include European countries sending their systems to Kyiv now, and being able to purchase replacements as a priority from the United States.
The deal comes as US allies nervously monitor a US review of its force deployments around the world.
Washington has warned it could look to shift forces and weaponry away from Europe to focus more on China.
Whitaker said the United States was in 'daily conversations' with allies about the process ahead of possible announcements in coming months.
'We've agreed to no surprises and no gaps in the strategic framework of Europe,' he said.
'I don't think there's a lot of anxiety. I think there's just a lot of desire to know our plan is so that there can be other planning.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Trump accuses Kamala Harris of paying Beyoncé and Oprah for illegal campaign endorsements
President Donald Trump has accused Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democrats of violating campaign finance laws by allegedly paying celebrities for political endorsements during the 2024 presidential election. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Harris spent millions to secure public backing from prominent figures, including singer Beyoncé, TV host Oprah Winfrey, and civil rights activist Al Sharpton. He asserted that these endorsements were financially motivated rather than genuine. He went on to describe the alleged payments as 'totally illegal' and demanded legal action. 'Kamala and all of those who received endorsement money BROKE THE LAW. They should all be prosecuted,' Trump wrote. He warned that if such practices became normalized, public outrage would be inevitable. Trump's latest comments come as he faces criticism over his handling of case files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier at the center of multiple investigations. He has dismissed the scrutiny as politically driven and described the ongoing probe as a 'con job' by Democrats to distract from his presidency. According to The Hill, Trump has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue the release of grand jury testimonies involving Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in response to rising public pressure for transparency—including from his own MAGA supporters. The president made the statements while visiting Scotland, where he played golf at his Turnberry resort alongside U.S. Ambassador Warren Stephens and his son Eric Trump. His visit triggered protests nationwide, with hundreds gathering outside the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh to voice their opposition. Demonstrators criticized both Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over a new U.S.-U.K. trade agreement. Trump has continued to defend his administration's performance, calling the past six months 'the BEST in Presidential history.'
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Drone debris disrupts trains, suspends flights in Volgograd
Falling debris from destroyed Ukrainian drones disrupted railway power supply and train operations in part of the Volgograd region, the administration of the region in Russia's south said on Sunday. There were no injuries as a result of the attacks, the administration said on the Telegram messaging app, citing Governor Andrei Bocharov. Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram that its air defence units had destroyed nine Ukrainian drones over the region. In total Russia downed 99 drones overnight over 12 Russian regions, the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea, the ministry said. Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Telegram that it had suspended flights soon after midnight at the airport in the city of Volgograd, the administrative centre of the Volgograd region. The flights had not resumed on Sunday morning. Because of the attack, trains were delayed in parts of the region, RIA state news agency reported. The extent of the damage inflicted by the Ukrainian drone attack was not clear. The Russian defence ministry reports only how many drones its units destroy, not how many Ukraine launches. There was no comment from Ukraine. Kyiv has often said that its attacks are in response to Moscow's relentless strikes on Ukraine since Moscow invaded in 2022 and are aimed at destroying infrastructure key to Russia's war efforts.
Business Recorder
10 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Trump, EU's von der Leyen to meet on Sunday to clinch trade deal, avert trade war
BRUSSELS/EDINBURGH: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to meet US President Donald Trump on Sunday to clinch a trade deal for Europe that would likely see a 15% baseline tariff on most EU goods, but end months of uncertainty for EU companies. Trump, in Scotland for a few days of golfing and bilateral meetings, told reporters upon his arrival on Friday evening that von der Leyen was a highly respected leader and he was looking forward to meeting with her on his golf course in Turnberry. He said there was a 50-50 chance that the U.S. and the 27-member European Union could reach a framework trade pact, adding that Brussels wanted to 'make a deal very badly.' The EU faces U.S. tariffs on more than 70% of its exports, with 50% on steel and aluminium, 25% on cars and car parts and a 10% levy on most other EU goods. Trump has said he would hike the rate to 30% on August 1, a level EU officials said would wipe out whole chunks of transatlantic commerce. Further tariffs on copper and pharmaceuticals are looming. A 15% tariff on most EU goods would be seen by many in Europe as a poor outcome compared to the initial European ambition of a zero-for-zero tariff deal on all industrial goods. But it would be better than 30% and it would remove uncertainty about business conditions that has already hit profits of European companies. For Trump a deal with the EU would be the biggest trade agreement, surpassing the $550 billion accord reached with Japan earlier this week. Trump, who is seeking to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old U.S. trade deficits, has so far reeled in agreements with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has failed to deliver on a promise of '90 deals in 90 days.' The EU deal would be a huge prize, given that the US and EU are each other's largest trading partners by far and account for a third of global trade. While close, a deal still requires some final negotiations. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick departed Washington for Scotland on Saturday for talks with EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, who is also travelling to Scotland, before the Trump-von der Leyen meeting. 'We're cautiously optimistic that there will be a deal reached,' said a Trump administration official, who spoke on he condition of anonymity. 'But it's not over till it's over.' In case there is no deal and the U.S. imposes 30% tariffs from August 1, the EU prepared countertariffs on 93 billion euros ($109 billion) of U.S. goods. EU diplomats have said a possible deal would likely include a broad 15% tariff on EU goods imported into the US, mirroring the US-Japan deal, along with a 50% tariff on European steel and aluminium. Trump told reporters there was 'not a lot' of wiggle room on the 50% tariffs that the U.S. has on steel and aluminium imports, adding, 'because if I do it for one, I have to do it for all.' It remains unclear if Washington would exempt EU imports from other sectoral tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals and other goods that have already been announced or are pending although EU officials are hopeful the 15% baseline tariff would apply also to cars and pharmaceuticals.
