On Monday Trump proposed a plan whereby NATO allies would finance the purchase of Patriot missile defense systems and other weapons for Ukraine. Trump said the weapons, worth “billions of dollars,” will be built by the U.S. defense industry and paid for by European countries.
Trump made the announcement during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who praised the move as further evidence that Europe is “stepping up.”
When asked to clarify her comments on sharing the burden with the U.S., Kallas called on the Americans to continue to support Ukraine: “If we pay for these weapons, it’s our support. Our call is that everybody should do the same.”
Kallas declined to assess the feasibility of using frozen Russian assets to purchase U.S. weapons, but did not dismiss the idea. “We need to provide Ukraine with more funding to defend itself. Although we have different views on the frozen assets, it’s important that everyone hear everyone’s assessment. Ultimately, we all have taxpayers asking why Russia isn’t paying for the damage it has caused.”
Ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council, several ministers welcomed Trump’s initiative. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said his government is already looking into the feasibility of such an arrangement.
“We’re looking into that as a positive inclination. As you know, the Netherlands is already doing a lot, but we will look into what we can do in relation to Mr. Trump’s announcement and take it from there,” Veldkamp said, adding he’s “very glad about the convergence between Europe and the U.S.” on the matter.
