NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has endorsed a new proposal by President Donald Trump that would see European nations foot the bill for supplying Ukraine with weapons drawn from American stockpiles.
Speaking alongside Trump at the White House on 14 July, Rutte said he had already secured backing from a coalition of NATO members including Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada.
Rutte described the initiative as a continuation of the commitments made at the recent NATO Summit, where Allies pledged to spend more on defence and increase industrial production.
“This is again, Europeans stepping up,” he said. “So I’ve been in contact with many countries. I can tell you that at this moment Germany massively, but also Finland and Denmark and Sweden and Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada: they all want to be part of this.”
The plan, which emerged following a phone call between Trump and Rutte last Thursday, involves transferring US military equipment to Ukraine at speed, with European countries paying the costs and the United States later replenishing its own stockpiles. Rutte said he had held talks at the Pentagon earlier that day and that “we discussed it this morning with Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, in a way that… the US will keep on its stockpiles necessary to defend this country.”
The aim, according to Rutte, is to get Ukraine “really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defence, but also missiles, ammunition, etc.” These packages would be assembled based on Ukrainian requirements and coordinated through NATO systems.
Rutte argued that the announcement should serve as a warning to Russia and a signal of renewed Western unity. “If I was Vladimir Putin today, and are you speaking about what you were planning to do in 50 days, and this announcement, I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously than I was doing at the moment,” he said.
The proposal marks a notable shift in burden-sharing within the Alliance and appears to reflect Trump’s longstanding insistence that European countries contribute more directly to NATO operations. While operational details remain to be finalised, Rutte emphasised the need for rapid delivery of systems to Ukraine and noted that this could involve the US backfilling weapons already sent by European partners.
“Speed is of the essence here,” he said.
Shock. We have to pay for American kit? Freeloading yanks. Mark Rutte is a pathetic wet blanket rolling over for the Draft Dodger at every opportunity.
Great plan for America. Not sure Europe is going to be as keen to funnel cash at US military companies at the expanse of domestic ones, especially not with trump putting tarrifs on European exports to the US.
From a geopolitical perspective, perhaps part of a subtle incentive plan to eventually massively increase ENATO MIC? Probably best to envision this as the opening phase in the ENATO Full Employment Act of early-mid 21st century.
Based on how trump has been acting and his Taco brand, I don’t think he is capable of doing long term planning or subtle. The art of the deal for him seems to be to go in with the sledgehammer and hope the other party immediately caves. His surrounded himself with yes men this term and that hasn’t helped as there is no one thinking ahead. That’s been very clear with how he and his inner circle have been constantly manipulated by Putin.
Maybe it’s all an amazing act by trump and he actually has a master plan, but I highly doubt it, him being constantly manipulated by Putin is a strong indicator his not all there.
So America is not so much the “Arsenal of Freedom” but rather a glorified gun store. Sure they’ll support your fight for freedom, but only if you can pay in dollars.
But it was ever this, part of what bankrupted the U.K. in WW2 was paying America for weapons.
Profit before principles.