NATO to pay for US-made weapons for Ukraine – Rutte

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this at a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"This is great news for Ukraine," Rutte said, confirming an agreement with Trump that NATO member countries will pay for weapons for Ukraine that will be manufactured in the U.S.

"This is really big. You [President Trump] called me on Thursday and said that you had taken a decision. The decision is that you want Ukraine to have what it needs, to be able to defend itself against Russia. But you want the Europeans to pay for it, which is totally logical," Rutte said.

He added that this decision is the result of the NATO summit in The Hague, where member states agreed to gradually increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, continue supporting Ukraine, and boost defense production.

According to the NATO chief, Europe is stepping up efforts to help Ukraine, mentioning countries like Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, and others.

"What we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need so we can make packages. […] It will mean that Ukraine can get its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defense but also missiles, ammunition etc.," Rutte said.

He believes Trump's decision will enable rapid weapons deliveries to Ukraine.

At the same time, Rutte said that, given the latest developments in Washington, he would reconsider his stance if he were in Putin's position when it comes to negotiations with Ukraine.

Rutte arrived in Washington on July 14 for a two-day visit. His schedule includes meetings with Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and members of Congress.

On July 13, Trump stated that the U.S. would supply Ukraine with additional missiles for its Patriot air defense systems, saying that while "he talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening."

Last week, Trump announced a preliminary agreement with NATO countries allowing them to purchase American-made weapons and send them to Ukraine.

Photo: NATO, flickr