On April 14th, local time, during a meeting with visiting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, U.S. President Trump announced a “major plan” for military aid to Ukraine. He stated that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with “top-tier weapons” through NATO, and that European allies within NATO would reimburse the U.S. for the cost of this equipment. He also threatened to impose “secondary sanctions with tariffs as high as 100%” on Russia if an agreement between Russia and Ukraine is not reached within 50 days. Some pro-Ukraine members of Congress from both parties claimed this would be a “decisive blow” to end the conflict. The previous day, Trump had again criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s response to the U.S.’s about-face on the Ukraine issue was muted. On April 14th, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that continued dialogue between Russia and the U.S. is necessary. Russia’s Sputnik News cited expert analysis suggesting Trump was “attempting to play both sides,” adding that “for him, it’s all business.” Trump also acknowledged on April 13th, “This (military aid to Ukraine) is just business for us.”
On the 14th, Trump met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House. (Visual China)
This is purely a business transaction for us.
According to a Reuters report on the 14th, President Trump met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House that morning. Trump stated that the United States would provide Ukraine with “state-of-the-art weapons” through NATO. He said that American-made “top-tier weapons” would first be sent to NATO, and then NATO would send them to “where they are needed.” He emphasized that “they (European allies within NATO) will pay for it.” Trump also stated that he hoped to see a swift end to the war in Ukraine, adding that he was “disappointed” in Russian President Putin. He threatened that, “If (Russia and Ukraine) don’t reach an agreement within 50 days, we will impose very high secondary tariffs (on countries trading with Russia)… tariffs as high as 100%.” Stoltenberg stated that this meant Ukraine could receive “a significant amount of military equipment,” including air defense missiles. He expressed gratitude for Trump’s decision to enable Ukraine to sustain its resistance against Russia, and that Europe would cover the costs of these weapons. Trump called this “perfectly logical.”
On January 13th, during a press interview at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, former President Trump stated, “We will give them (Ukraine) the Patriot anti-aircraft missiles that they desperately need.” Trump did not specify the quantity of Patriot missile systems to be provided, but stated that “we’ll send some, because they really need protection.” Trump emphasized that European allies within NATO would cover the cost of these American weapons, asserting, “They (Europe) will pay 100% of the cost,” and “That’s the way we want it… that’s how we do business.”
On the 13th, Trump also stated that the U.S. provision of weapons to Ukraine stemmed from his “disappointment” with Putin. “Putin really surprised a lot of people. He’s polite during the day, but conducts bombings at night.” Trump said, “I don’t like that.”
CNN reported that the Trump administration was “seriously considering” a bill imposing sanctions on Russia. This bill proposes a secondary tariff of up to 500% on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, or supporting Russian energy production. In a joint statement released on the 13th, senior Republican Senator Graham and Democratic Senator Blumenthal, who have been pushing for this bill, stated that it would be a “powerful blow” to “end the conflict in Ukraine.”
Russian Media: The U.S. Attempts to Play Both Sides
Trump’s recent stance on the Ukraine-Russia conflict has been marked by inconsistency. In early July, the United States abruptly halted some military aid to Ukraine. White House spokesperson Kelly confirmed the suspension, emphasizing that “this decision was made to prioritize American interests.” However, a week later, the US resumed aid. The White House also suggested that Defense Secretary Esper made the decision independently, without informing the White House. In an interview, Trump stated that he was unaware of who authorized the suspension of aid to Ukraine.
Regarding the US plan to provide military aid to Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia, the Russian side appears remarkably calm. On April 14, Presidential Press Secretary Peskov stated at a press conference that continued dialogue between Russia and the United States is necessary. Regarding Trump’s announcement to provide Ukraine with Patriot air defense missile systems, Peskov said, “I have said many times regarding the issue of (the US supplying Ukraine with) expensive weapons systems. In fact, the US has been and will continue to supply Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, and military equipment.” The Russian News Agency (RIA Novosti) reported that Russia has consistently emphasized that Western arms supplies to Ukraine are not conducive to negotiations, will draw NATO member states into the conflict, and are akin to ‘playing with fire.’
Interestingly, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Moscow’s stock market surged after Trump announced the decision. The report suggests this may be because investors had originally anticipated a 500% US secondary tariff, and Trump’s threat was apparently “below their expectations.”
On February 14, Russia’s Sputnik news agency cited expert analysis stating that continued US military aid to Ukraine and potential sanctions against Russia present a mixed bag for both Russia and Ukraine. While the continued US military aid is beneficial to Ukraine, the bad news is that the aid’s scale is unlikely to meet Ukrainian expectations and will likely be difficult to implement. The report indicated that Trump’s actions represent an attempt to “hedge his bets.” This decision is clearly negative, but “for Trump, it’s all business.”
Russia and Ukraine will continue direct negotiations.
According to a report by Ukrainska Pravda on the 14th, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy held talks with visiting U.S. special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Mr. Kellogg. Zelenskyy stated, “We discussed what we can do together to achieve peace. This includes strengthening Ukraine’s air defense systems, joint weapons production, purchasing weapons together with Europe, and of course, sanctions against Russia and its supporting countries.” He added, “I thank President Trump for his significant support and positive decisions towards our country.”
The Guardian previously reported, citing sources, that after the recent depletion of Patriot air defense missiles in the Middle East, US Patriot missile reserves can only meet approximately 25% of the needs of all Pentagon military plans. After resuming military aid to Ukraine, the US initially provided only 10 Patriot air defense missiles. Yuri Sak, an advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries, lamented at the time that this was “a drop in the ocean,” adding that “while this is a positive sign, it is insufficient to allow us to defend our cities.”
The New York Times analysis suggests that Putin had already considered the possibility of new pressure from the United States. The report states that Putin is confident that Russia’s advantage on the battlefield “is growing,” therefore ignoring Trump’s recent expression of “disappointment,” and continuing to increase its military offensive against Ukraine. The report concludes that Putin “will not sacrifice his goals in Ukraine to improve relations with Trump.”
According to a report by Russia’s news agency, RIA Novosti, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Galuzin stated on the 14th that Russia would continue direct negotiations with Ukraine. Currently, the specific date for the third round of negotiations has yet to be determined.