Trump's pledge of Patriots for Ukraine leaves allies scrambling for details – Reuters

US President Donald Trump’s promise to supply Ukraine with additional European-funded weapons, including Patriot air defence systems, has caught even close US partners off-guard, as they learned of the plan only during its announcement, reports Reuters.

Source: Reuters

Quote from Reuters: "President Donald Trump has finally found a way to like arming Ukraine: ask European allies to donate their weapons, and sell them American replacements. Now comes the hard part – agreeing on who will actually give up their prized systems, including the Patriot missile batteries that Kyiv has been desperately seeking."

Details: Despite Trump’s claim that some Patriot systems would arrive in Ukraine "within days", Reuters notes it is now clear he has presented a general framework and not a detailed plan.

According to 10 US and European officials, the scale of support for Ukraine hinges on future negotiations over who will provide the promised weapons. The key question is who will supply Patriot batteries and when.

Quote from one northern European ambassador in Washington: "As always in such cases, the devil is in the details."

Reuters highlights that Ukraine and its allies have warmly welcomed the plan developed by Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as well as Trump’s shift in rhetoric on the Russia-Ukraine war.

However, some European officials have expressed frustration at footing the bill for Trump’s pledge.

During a 14 July Oval Office meeting with Trump, Rutte named six NATO countries – Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada – as being ready to join the arms procurement programme.

Reuters reports that the announcement surprised US allies. Senior sources at two of these countries’ embassies in the US said they learned of the plan only when it was announced, suggesting that even close allies were informed in real time.

Quote from one European ambassador: "It is my clear sense that nobody has been briefed about the exact details in advance. I also suspect that internally in the administration they are only now beginning to sort out what it means in practice."

When Reuters sent the Pentagon a request for comment, it referred the agency to Trump’s 14 July speech in which he announced his agreement with Rutte. The White House and Ukraine’s embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Three US officials involved in weapons issues said the real work is now beginning, with negotiations underway to assess which NATO allies can supply Ukraine. European officials are generally positive about the initiative.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, speaking in Brussels on 15 July before an EU ministerial meeting, said: "We are ready to participate."

One official identified Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Spain as potential donors of Patriot batteries, as they have multiple systems or face relatively low threats.

However, Greece and Spain have previously resisted calls to donate Patriots, citing their own and NATO’s defence needs.

Another official said the Trump administration is reviewing NATO stockpiles to identify available equipment, with plans to persuade allies to donate in exchange for a "trade".

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who visited the Pentagon on 14 July, said discussions on sending Patriot batteries to Ukraine would continue in the coming days or weeks. He noted that no systems would reach Kyiv for several months, likely delaying delivery past the tactically critical summer period.

Another official described Trump as being directly involved in the talks, though they remain "squishy".

Quote from European official: "So far folks have said, ‘We can help.’ Now, what that means, we don't know."

Background:

• During a press conference on 14 July, Trump announced an agreement between the United States and NATO under which the supply of US weapons to Ukraine will be financed by European allies. 
• Trump also announced the transfer of up to 17 Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine in the near future.
• There have also been media reports that Trump is said to be considering sending Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.

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