Zelensky praises Trump for handing Ukraine multi-billion pound war chest
Volodymyr Zelenksy has praised Donald Trump for handing Ukraine a multi-billion pound war chest of lethal weapons to fight off Russia.
A range of weapons including 17 powerful Patriot missiles will be soon be sent to Kyiv via the US's European allies - while on Monday, Trump warned Putin he has just 50 days to settle a peace deal or be hit by tariffs of up to 100%. It's one of the first signs that Trump - who appeared to cosy up to Putin after returning to the White House - may finally be moving his sympathies in favour of Kyiv, and is ready to give Ukraine some of the vital weapons it needs to defend itself. Zelensky last night said he'd had a "very good conversation" with Trump and thanked him for his "willingness to support Ukraine". Here's what we know about what Trump has promised Ukraine:
What's the thinking behind the plan?
The new plan is designed to let the US to funnel more firepower to Ukraine to combat invading Russian forces while easing the financial burden on Washington, something which Trump has complained about on many occasions.
Russian forces are currently in the middle of a major summer offensive, and are trying to force the Ukrainians out of some more marginally-held territory.
It is hoped that increased weapons shipments from NATO allies, combined with possible new penalties Trump has promised if a halt to the fighting isn't reached in 50 days, could push Russian President Vladimir Putin into peace talks that Trump has championed for months. All of his previous attempts have failed.
How is Trump sending the weapons to Ukraine?
The US plans to sell Patriot missile batteries - systems ideal for shielding territory against incoming missile attacks - and other weapons to European allies. These would then be transferred to Kyiv.
Sat next to NATO chief Mark Rutte in the White House yesterday, Trump said: "We're going to supply weapons to NATO at a large amount."
Rutte said Britain, Germany, Finland, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are among the buyers who will help supply Ukraine.
What has Zelensky said?
The Ukrainian president has not yet spoken about the details of the plan - but it's clear his relationship with Trump has vastly improved since being berated in the infamous Oval Office meeting earlier this year.
Zelensky wrote last night on X (formerly Twitter): "I spoke with POTUS. It was a very good conversation. Thank you for the willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace. President Trump shared details about his meeting with the Secretary General of NATO.
"It's important that we have such a good relationship, and that the Alliance countries are working to increase defence spending.
"We discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions.
"We are ready to work as productively as possible to achieve peace. We agreed to catch up more often by phone and coordinate our steps in the future as well. Thank you, Mr. President! Thank you, America!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
6 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Starmer and Trump to ‘refine' trade deal, says president
The US president told American reporters on Tuesday that the pair will have a meeting 'probably in Aberdeen' during his private visit to Scotland. A trade deal struck between the UK and the US earlier this year reduced tariffs on car and aerospace imports, but questions remain over whether steel imports into America will face 50% tariffs. There is a baseline tariff of 10% for most other imports. The pair previously met at the White House (Carl Court/PA) Mr Trump's July 9 deadline for when he said he would start implementing tariffs on trade partners has been and gone. Mr Trump said: 'We're going to be meeting with the British Prime Minister, very respectful, and we are going to have a meeting with him, probably in Aberdeen, and we're going to do a lot of different things. 'We're going to also refine the trade deal that we've made. So we'll be meeting mostly […] at probably one of my properties, or maybe not, depending on what happens, but we'll be in Aberdeen, in Scotland, meeting with the Prime Minister.' Ahead of his visit to the UK, Mr Trump described Britain as a 'great place' which is a 'true ally' of the US. Speaking about Sir Keir, he told the BBC: 'I really like the Prime Minister a lot, even though he's a liberal.' He also described Aberdeen as the 'oil capital' and said 'they should get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil'. The president's private visit comes ahead of a state visit that will follow between September 17 and 19. He will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle and accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump. It will be Mr Trump's second state visit to the UK, having previously been hosted during his first term in 2019. Downing Street has previously said that Sir Keir's meeting with Mr Trump later this month 'will not be a formal bilateral'. There are also plans for Scottish First Minister John Swinney to meet with Mr Trump during his trip.
Glasgow Times
10 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Starmer and Trump to ‘refine' trade deal, says president
The US president told American reporters on Tuesday that the pair will have a meeting 'probably in Aberdeen' during his private visit to Scotland. A trade deal struck between the UK and the US earlier this year reduced tariffs on car and aerospace imports, but questions remain over whether steel imports into America will face 50% tariffs. There is a baseline tariff of 10% for most other imports. The pair previously met at the White House (Carl Court/PA) Mr Trump's July 9 deadline for when he said he would start implementing tariffs on trade partners has been and gone. Mr Trump said: 'We're going to be meeting with the British Prime Minister, very respectful, and we are going to have a meeting with him, probably in Aberdeen, and we're going to do a lot of different things. 'We're going to also refine the trade deal that we've made. So we'll be meeting mostly […] at probably one of my properties, or maybe not, depending on what happens, but we'll be in Aberdeen, in Scotland, meeting with the Prime Minister.' Ahead of his visit to the UK, Mr Trump described Britain as a 'great place' which is a 'true ally' of the US. Speaking about Sir Keir, he told the BBC: 'I really like the Prime Minister a lot, even though he's a liberal.' He also described Aberdeen as the 'oil capital' and said 'they should get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil'. The president's private visit comes ahead of a state visit that will follow between September 17 and 19. He will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle and accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump. It will be Mr Trump's second state visit to the UK, having previously been hosted during his first term in 2019. Downing Street has previously said that Sir Keir's meeting with Mr Trump later this month 'will not be a formal bilateral'. There are also plans for Scottish First Minister John Swinney to meet with Mr Trump during his trip.
Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Telegraph
We could not betray Afghan allies who fought alongside us
The first I knew that something was going drastically wrong with Afghanistan was in the Press room at the Pentagon, standing alongside the then US defence secretary. A journalist asked my counterpart about the 'secret annex' to the Trump peace deal. What secret annex I thought? Our closest ally hadn't shared it with us. When we finally saw the annex I was horrified that it could not have been written more in the Taliban's favour if it tried. The annex forced the existing Afghan government to release more than 4,000 of the worst Taliban prisoners while at the same time committing US air power and special forces to staying grounded or in barracks. I said it at the time – it was a rotten deal that allowed the Taliban to storm Kabul without any compromise. Donald Trump now tries to blame Joe Biden but it was his conditions that allowed such a victory for the group that had killed so many allies and local opposition. Priti Patel, the home secretary, and I had agreed to accelerate relocation to UK. The Prime Minister and National Security Council endorsed our efforts. I despatched General Gwyn Jenkins for two weeks to spend time in the country with the Afghan ministries and president. Jenkins was an Afghan veteran and knew many in the military leadership. What he reported back was not good reading and went against the Foreign Office and other advice I was getting in the Department. This thing was heading for a collapse. What those who criticise our actions forget is that this was an evacuation of forces and allies who had been based in Afghanistan for 20 years. We needed to act rapidly. Our own veterans felt a bond of honour to those who had helped them and many Afghans were afraid. They say that to lead is to choose. As a government, we had to make a choice about who was entitled to come. We did not want members of the Afghan army to just cut and run. The allies had invested billions in training them. Being in the Afghan army would not on its own offer you a route out to a new life. Only forces who had directly worked with us and within recent years would be eligible for resettlement. Many in the country were scared; overwhelming number of Afghans applied through every route they could to get out. This completely blocked the system as duplicate applications built up. The weight of applications threatened to thwart the legitimate claimants. Many were not eligible in any way at all. So all of us tried every way we could to clear the lists of applicants. I personally signed off hundreds. UK personnel had to work from sketchy and historical records on former comrades. We found applications from known Islamic State and al Qaeda sympathisers and from people who had been dismissed for collaboration with the Taliban. The successful applicants had to be processed and flown out, some even smuggled out. My officials and military personnel could not rely on old records so had to keep up a constant dialogue with those in the country. One such member, amongst all the chaos and in trying to do the right thing, accidentally sent more data than they should to some in Afghanistan. It was a mistake. It wasn't a conspiracy and it wasn't a reckless betrayal. No one knew of this error until a year later when a disgruntled Afghan tried to blackmail us. On being informed, I was determined that the first priority was to protect all those that might be at risk. My primary concern was their welfare. My priority was not the UK government, nor politics, it was the veterans and those who we needed to get out. We did all we could to continue to evacuate even more people who were now at risk and do so through even more routes – air or land. After much work by our own people there was, and still to this day is, no evidence that any of the data found its way to the Taliban. I make no apology for applying to the court for an injunction at the time. It was not, as some are childishly trying to claim, a cover up. I took the view that if this leak was reported at the time, the existence of the list would put in peril those we needed to help out. Some may disagree but imagine if the Taliban had been alerted to the existence of this list. I would dread to think what would have happened. I shall leave it to you to decide what you would have done. But in the end we got more than 18,000 people out. We did this with the help of brave souls and allies. We took more than most. At the time we informed the Opposition, now the Government, and the Speaker of the House. We always knew there would be a time for this to become public. Three years since the leak it has now become so. The judge has done the right thing throughout. But let's not forget the environment at the time.
