U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new weapons initiative for Ukraine and issued an ultimatum to Russia, threatening severe trade sanctions if peace is not achieved within 50 days, CNN reported.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump presented a plan under which the U.S. will sell weapons to European countries, which will then supply them to Ukraine. These countries include Germany and Norway, with at least four more expected to join. The president emphasized that the shipments will include Patriot missile systems — a key priority for Kyiv — as well as short-range guided missiles, howitzer shells, and medium-range air-to-air missiles.

"We will impose very severe tariffs if there is no deal within 50 days — tariffs of about 100 percent, which you will call secondary tariffs. You know what that means," Trump said.

A White House official clarified that by "secondary tariffs," the president means 100% tariffs on Russian goods and secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil.

The scheme is designed to avoid direct delivery of American weapons to Ukraine, allowing Trump to sidestep criticism of breaking his campaign promise to limit U.S. involvement in the war. At the same time, significant financial gain is expected — each Patriot system costs around $1 billion, with the president already highlighting the profit for the U.S. from the deal.

U.S. officials note that deliveries will be faster if the systems are already located in Europe, rather than transported from the U.S. or newly manufactured. Some view the decision as a clear signal to Moscow that Trump is serious about ending the war. Last week, the president publicly accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of spreading "nonsense."

"He is really disappointed with Putin," said a senior U.S. official. "Trump wants to show he is determined to end the war, and perhaps this will prompt Putin to start negotiations."

The plan was seriously discussed during the NATO summit in the Netherlands last month but originated after Trump’s election victory last year, when European leaders began seeking mechanisms to continue military aid to Kyiv even if Washington were to withdraw.

For two weeks now, U.S. and European representatives have been ironing out technical details of the plan's implementation. NATO does not directly deliver weapons but coordinates logistics among member states. Possible scenarios include the transfer of already purchased U.S. weapons or new acquisitions intended directly for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a list of needed armaments during the Netherlands meeting, and Trump has already approved part of those requests.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has further discussed the plan with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Cane. According to sources, Rutte has received numerous signals from European countries interested in joining the initiative.

Ukraine claims it needs at least 10 new Patriot systems to defend against increasing Russian missile and drone attacks. | BGNES