President Trump said yesterday that the U.S. would help Europe send more weapons to Ukraine and warned Russia that it would be hit by “very severe tariffs” if there was no peace deal in 50 days.
The threat of tariffs is unlikely to have much of an impact — Russia sells little to the U.S. — but Trump also threatened to impose secondary sanctions, which are penalties imposed on other countries or parties that trade with nations under sanctions.
Trump made his remarks during a meeting with NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, who has been coordinating efforts to send more weapons to Ukraine. Under the arrangement, NATO would buy U.S. weapons, including more advanced Patriot missile defense batteries, and pass them to Kyiv. The news was greeted with only cautious optimism by military analysts and officers in Kyiv, for whom the fickleness of the Trump administration remains a concern.
