Trump arms Ukraine and threatens sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on July 14, and threatened sanctions on buyers of Russian exports unless Russia agrees to a peace deal, a major policy shift brought on by frustration with Moscow’s ongoing attacks on its neighbour.

But Mr Trump’s threat of sanctions came with a 50-day grace period, a move that was welcomed by investors in Russia where the rouble recovered from earlier losses and stock markets rose.

Sitting with Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Mr Trump told reporters that he was disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin and the billions of dollars in weapons would be distributed to Ukraine.

“We’re going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they’ll be sent to Nato,” Mr Trump said, adding that Washington’s Nato allies would pay for them.

The weapons

would include Patriot air defence missiles

, which Ukraine has urgently sought.

“It’s a full complement with the batteries,” Mr Trump said. “We’re going to have some come very soon, within days.

“We have one country that has 17 Patriots getting ready to be shipped... we’re going to work a deal where the 17 will go or a big portion of the 17 will go to the war site.”

Mr Rutte said Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada all wanted to be a part of rearming Ukraine.

Mr Trump’s threat to impose so-called secondary sanctions on Russia, if carried out, would be a major shift in Western sanctions policy.

Lawmakers from both political parties in the United States are pushing for a Bill that would authorise such measures, targeting other countries that buy Russian oil.

Throughout the more than three-year-old war, Western countries have cut off most of their own financial ties to Moscow, but have held back from taking steps that would restrict Russia from selling its oil elsewhere. That has allowed Moscow to continue earning hundreds of billions of dollars from shipping oil to buyers such as China and India.

“We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs,” Mr Trump said. “If we don’t have a deal in 50 days, it’s very simple, and they’ll be at 100 per cent.”

A White House official said Mr Trump was referring to 100 per cent tariffs on Russian goods as well as secondary sanctions on other countries that buy its exports.

Eighty-five of the 100 US senators are

co-sponsoring a Bill

that would give Mr Trump the authority to impose 500 per cent tariffs on any country that helps Russia, but the chamber’s Republican leaders have been waiting for Mr Trump to give them the go-ahead for a vote.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram he had spoken to Mr Trump and “thanked him for his readiness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace”.

Mr Zelensky held talks with Mr Trump’s envoy Keith Kellogg on July 14.

In Kyiv, people welcomed the announcement but some remained cautious about Mr Trump’s intentions.

“I am pleased that finally European politicians, with their patience and convictions, have slightly swayed him (Trump) to our side, because from the very beginning it was clear that he did not really want to help us,” said Dr Denys Podilchuk, a 39-year-old dentist in Kyiv.

Grace period

Mr Artyom Nikolayev, an analyst from financial information firm Invest Era, said Mr Trump did not go as far as Russian markets had feared.

“Trump performed below market expectations. He gave 50 days during which the Russian leadership can come up with something and extend the negotiation track. Moreover, Trump likes to postpone and extend such deadlines,” he said.

Asked about Mr Trump’s remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said an immediate ceasefire was needed to pave the way for a political solution and “whatever can contribute to these objectives will, of course, be important if it is done in line with international law.”

Since returning to the White House promising a quick end to the war, Mr Trump has sought rapprochement with Moscow, speaking several times with Mr Putin. His administration has pulled back from pro-Ukrainian policies such as backing Kyiv’s membership in Nato and demanding Russia withdraw from all Ukrainian territory.

But Mr Putin has yet to accept a proposal from Mr Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, which was quickly endorsed by Kyiv. Recent days have seen Russia use hundreds of drones to

attack Ukrainian cities

.

Mr Trump said his shift was motivated by frustration with Mr Putin, who talked about peace but continued to strike Ukrainian cities. “I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy,” he said.

“We actually had probably four times a deal. And then the deal wouldn’t happen because bombs would be thrown out that night and you’d say we’re not making any deals,” he said.

Last week he said, “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin.”

Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and holds about one-fifth of Ukraine. Its forces are slowly advancing in eastern Ukraine and Moscow shows no sign of abandoning its main war goals.

Ms Evelyn Farkas, a former senior Pentagon official who is now executive director of the McCain Institute, said Trump’s moves could eventually turn the tide of the war if Mr Trump ratchets up enforcement of current sanctions, adds new ones and provides new equipment quickly.

“If Putin’s ministers and generals can be convinced that the war is not winnable they may be willing to push Putin to negotiate, if nothing else but to buy time,” said Ms Farkas. REUTERS