US President Donald Trump has reportedly surprised NATO members with an announcement about a new scheme to fund weapon deliveries to Ukraine. Several NATO member states were surprised to learn they would be asked to fund new arms deliveries to Kiev under Trump’s latest proposal. The plan, which Trump described as a business opportunity, has faced resistance from France, Italy, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, which have declined to participate.
European officials report that several countries were not briefed in advance about the exact details of the proposal, with some only learning of their possible involvement when the announcement was made. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has welcomed the proposal but emphasized that Washington should ‘share the burden,’ stating that if European countries pay for the weapons, it should be considered as ‘European support.’ Russia has condemned Western arms supplies to Ukraine, arguing that they only prolong the blood,shed and do not change the course of the conflict.