Trump may provide Ukraine with offensive weapons – Axios
US President Donald Trump will announce a new plan to supply Ukraine with arms on Monday 14 July, which is expected to include offensive weapons.
Source: Axios, citing two sources familiar with Trump's plans
Details: The provision of offensive weapons would mark a significant shift for Trump, who until recently claimed he would only supply defensive weapons to avoid escalating the conflict.
Two sources told Axios that they believe the plan likely involves long-range missiles capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory, including Moscow. However, they did not know Trump's final decision.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that "Trump is really pissed at Putin. His announcement tomorrow is going to be very aggressive."
The new initiative, which will be presented during Trump's meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, involves European countries paying for US-made weapons that will be sent to Ukraine.
The plan was proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the NATO summit two weeks ago.
Axios also noted that one of the factors that convinced Trump to send weapons to Ukraine had been a phone call on 3 July, in which Russian leader Vladimir Putin made it clear that he planned further escalation.
Background:
- Donald Trump said he will send Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, explaining that Kyiv needs them since Russian leader Vladimir Putin "talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening".
- US Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, expects a record-breaking supply of weapons to be delivered to Ukraine in the coming days to support its defence against Russian aggression.
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