Nato money is what Trump wants - not a free Ukraine

Donald Trump has not turned against Vladimir Putin. Rather, he has just announced a big day of future sales for the US arms industry with a buying bonanza for Ukraine by Nato.

- SAM KILEY WORLD AFFAIRS EDITOR

With the secretary general of Nato sitting next to him in the Oval Office, the US president warned that Russia would face “100 per cent” tariffs if it did not agree to a ceasefire with Kyiv inside 50 days.

He went on to criticise Putin several times for adopting a warm manner on the telephone and then following up their calls by launching renewed missile attacks on Ukraine. “I wouldn’t call him an assassin, but I would call him a very tough guy,” he said of the Russian president.

However, when Trump unveiled what he had teased in the days before as a “major statement” - his agreement to what both he and Rutte called a “very big” deal to sell weapons to Nato, which could then be sent on to Ukraine - he provided no details.

“We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons and [Nato is] going to be paying for them,” the president said. “The United States will not be having any payment made. We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”