U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States would supply weapons to Ukraine via NATO and that he would make a "major statement" on Russia on Monday, Reuters reports.
In recent days, Trump has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the lack of progress towards ending the war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
"I think I'll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday," Trump told NBC News, declining to elaborate.
Trump also told NBC News about what he called a new deal between the U.S., NATO allies and Ukraine over weapons shipment from the United States.
"We're sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%. So what we’re doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons (to Ukraine), and NATO is paying for those weapons," Trump said.
"We send weapons to NATO, and NATO is going to reimburse the full cost of those weapons," he added.
For the first time since returning to office, Trump will send weapons to Kyiv under a presidential power frequently used by his predecessor, two sources familiar with the decision said on Thursday.
Trump's team will identify arms from U.S. stockpiles to send to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the president to draw from weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency, the sources said, with one saying they could be worth around $300 million.
Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. would send more weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against intensifying Russian advances.
