Trump To Sell Weapons To Europe and Transfer To Ukraine
On Monday, President Donald Trump held a series of high-level discussions that signaled a sharp escalation in his approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to reports from The Financial Times and The Washington Post, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whether Ukraine would be willing to strike targets deep inside Russia—specifically Moscow and St. Petersburg—if the United States supplied the necessary weaponry.
The reports, citing unnamed sources, suggest that Trump is not only exploring more aggressive military options but is also crafting a broader geopolitical strategy. That includes a proposed arms transfer mechanism in which European countries would purchase U.S.-made weapons and supply them to Ukraine.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back hard on the story, telling Newsweek that the Financial Times “takes words wildly out of context to get clicks.” She emphasized that Trump was not urging escalation but “merely asking a question,” and reiterated his goal of ending the conflict, not prolonging it.
I am grateful to President Trump for his readiness to help protect our people’s lives. This war continues solely because of Russia, because of Putin’s desire to drag it out. Russia is trying to make the war seem like the “new normal.” We must never put up with this. Everything… pic.twitter.com/i16GSeTSqZ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 14, 2025
Trump added pressure on Russia in a separate Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where he announced a 90-day deadline for Russia to agree to a peace deal. If the deadline passes without progress, Trump warned, the U.S. will impose “very severe tariffs”—which he clarified as “secondary tariffs,” a term typically associated with penalties on countries that continue to buy Russian oil despite sanctions.
Zelensky appeared receptive to Trump’s overtures, thanking him publicly on X (formerly Twitter) for his “readiness to help protect our people’s lives.” In a series of posts, Zelensky underscored that peace must come through strength and praised American and NATO efforts to increase military support, including new Patriot missile systems.
Zelensky also disclosed that he and Trump discussed expanded defense agreements and committed to maintaining close communication. “Peace is only possible through strength,” Zelensky wrote. “It is Russia that must be forced.”
I spoke with @POTUS. It was a very good conversation. Thank you for the willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace.
President Trump shared details about his meeting with the @SecGenNATO. It’s…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 14, 2025
Later Monday, Trump acknowledged ongoing conversations with Putin. “My conversations with him are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night,” Trump said. “He fooled Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden — he didn’t fool me.”
Trump also praised European resolve. “The level of esprit de corps they have is amazing,” he said, reflecting a notable shift from his earlier skepticism about NATO’s unity on Ukraine.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker confirmed that all military options remain on the table, emphasizing the dual-purpose nature of many weapons systems. “An air defense system is important and critical for the situation, but at the same time we’re not taking anything off the table,” he said.