CNN
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When President Donald Trump received final yr’s election, European officers shortly started discussing the best way to maintain US weapons shipments to Ukraine beneath a frontrunner who had vowed to tug again American help.
Eight months later, the outcomes of that plan are coming into view, with Trump on board with a novel thought to promote US weapons to European nations that may then switch them to Kyiv.
The president introduced the plan throughout a gathering with NATO Secretary Basic Mark Rutte on Monday.
Along with Patriot missile batteries — the highest merchandise on Kyiv’s want listing and one Trump mentioned Sunday was very important to Ukraine’s defenses — the US might additionally promote short-range missiles, Howitzer rounds and medium-range air-to-air missiles to NATO members, which might then be transferred to Ukraine, an individual acquainted with the deliberations mentioned.
The pondering behind Trump’s choice is multifold, officers mentioned.
By promoting weapons to European nations, moderately than transferring them to Ukraine itself, Trump hopes to insulate himself from political criticism that he’s reversing a marketing campaign pledge to scale back the US position within the years-long struggle.
He’s additionally anticipating a monetary windfall: every Patriot missile system prices roughly $1 billion and he has already touted the earnings for the US as a part of the scheme.
American officers additionally famous it will be faster to get the Patriot methods to Ukraine if they’re already in Europe versus transferring them from the USA or producing them new at a US manufacturing facility.
And, a minimum of within the view of some US officers, offering Ukraine with a surge in new weaponry might ship a sign to Moscow that Trump is critical about his frustrations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who the US chief accused of peddling “bullshit” final week.
“He’s critically pissed off with Putin,” a US official mentioned. “He desires to indicate he’s critical about ending the struggle, and perhaps this may present Putin it’s time to begin negotiating.”
The plan was mentioned in earnest round final month’s NATO summit within the Netherlands, the place Trump met with European leaders and the Ukrainian president for talks described by folks acquainted as surprisingly productive.
However its origins really got here months earlier, after Trump received final yr’s election — thrusting US help for Kyiv into recent doubt. European officers, at that stage, started conceiving of a solution to permit for continued weapons help to Ukraine even when Trump pulled again Washington’s position, as he had promised as a candidate.
For the final two weeks, officers within the US and Europe have been engaged on the main points of how the plan would function. NATO doesn’t itself dispatch weapons to Ukraine, however moderately acts as a clearinghouse, coordinating deliveries from particular person international locations.
The mechanism for transferring the weapons might embrace European nations transferring weapons already purchased from the USA and backfilling them with new purchases. Or they might buy new US weapons for rapid switch to Ukraine.
Among the many international locations already on faucet to take part are Germany and Norway. Officers mentioned a minimum of 4 different international locations are more likely to be part of.
Trump spoke final week to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Merz mentioned on the decision he was searching for the US to ship the methods to Germany in order that they could possibly be transferred to Ukraine, an individual acquainted with the decision mentioned.
He additionally spoke on Thursday with Rutte to debate the initiative and lay plans for the secretary basic’s go to to the White Home on Monday.
Rutte later spoke with high US navy officers, together with Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers, to delve additional into the main points of the plan.
On that decision, Rutte mentioned he’d obtained a number of messages of curiosity from European nations trying to take part, an individual acquainted mentioned.
Ukraine has mentioned it wants 10 new Patriot methods to guard itself towards Russia’s elevated onslaught of missiles and drones.
Eventually month’s NATO assembly within the Netherlands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered Trump and different leaders with a listing of weaponry he mentioned his nation must stave off Russia’s invasion, based on a US official.
Trump has signed off on among the objects.
This story has been up to date with further developments.
