On July 14, Trump went further than ever before in terms of aid to Ukraine, giving the green light for European purchases of Patriot missile defense systems and other weapons.
However, according to Politico, this does not mean he believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “holds the cards.”
A senior White House official said Trump continues to believe that Moscow holds the advantage. But his willingness to engage in resolving the war is growing, as his frustration with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin increases.
“The President believes Russia will win — the only question is how long it will take," the unnamed official said.
"Russia has a bigger economy, a bigger army, more than enough bodies to throw into the meat grinder, and simply doesn’t care. The president just wants the killing to stop.”
Two other senior administration officials stressed that the shift in Trump’s rhetoric regarding Ukraine is a response to Putin’s indifference to peace efforts.
“Some of the recent Russian attacks have been the worst yet," an official said.
They've become less selective, and the president doesn’t like that.”
Both administration representatives acknowledged that European leaders have managed to reassure the U.S. President about Europe’s commitment to shared defense efforts, particularly regarding financial contributions.
On July 14, Trump announced that the U.S. and NATO had reached an agreement to supply weapons to Ukraine. According to him, the U.S. will produce “the best weapons in the world” and sell them to NATO, which will then coordinate delivery to Ukraine.
Trump also claimed the deal might ensure Ukraine receives billions of dollars in weapons. He stated that he is “very unhappy” with Russia and threatened 100% tariffs unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days.
He also noted that some countries now possessing Patriot missile systems may soon transfer them to Ukraine.