Moscow [Russia], July 17: The Kyiv Independent on July 16 quoted US President Donald Trump as saying that Patriot air defense systems were on their way to Ukraine, to increase support for Kyiv and put pressure on Russia.
He said the Patriot systems were being sent from Germany and the United States at no cost. Germany did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Reuters reported that Patriot owners and donors could meet next week to discuss how to provide the systems to Ukraine.
Contrary to Mr. Trump's statement about the cost of weapons aid to Ukraine, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said that the US should share this burden.
"We welcome President Trump's announcement of sending more weapons to Ukraine, although we would like to see the US share the burden. The US and Europe can work together to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate seriously," Politico quoted her as saying after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Belgium on July 15.
The lack of unity in efforts to put pressure on Russia was also evident when the European Union (EU) failed to approve a new package of sanctions against Moscow at the EU foreign ministers' meeting on July 15. The reason was that Slovakia wanted additional guarantees that it would not be harmed by another EU plan to phase out Russian gas imports by January 1, 2028. Slovakia argued that stopping gas imports from Russia would cause shortages, increase prices and transportation costs, and lead to claims for damages from Russian supplier Gazprom.
In a surprising development, President Trump on July 15 advised Ukraine not to attack Moscow, contrary to a previous report in the Financial Times that he encouraged Ukraine to attack deep into Russian territory. The article cited sources saying that Mr. Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whether he could attack Moscow if the US provided long-range weapons. Mr. Trump on July 14 threatened to impose 100% tariffs on countries buying Russian goods if Russia did not reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 50 days. The leader later said he had not spoken to Mr. Putin since issuing the ultimatum, but added that it might not take 50 days to reach an agreement. Regarding the possibility of imposing tariffs as announced by Mr. Trump, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that countries such as Brazil, China and India could be severely affected if they continued to do business with Russia.
Meanwhile, Reuters quoted sources familiar with the matter as saying that President Putin is undeterred by the threats and intends to continue his campaign in Ukraine until the West agrees to peace talks on his terms. His territorial demands may even expand as Russian forces advance further.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
