President Trump is about to fulfill with NATO Secretary Common Mark Rutte this week on the heels of the U.S. chief asserting plans to promote NATO allies weapons that it could cross on to Ukraine.
In a press release, NATO mentioned Rutte will probably be in Washington on Monday and Tuesday and also will meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and members of Congress.
CBS Information reached out to the White Home for extra remark.
Sen. Lindsey Graham confirmed on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that he and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal will probably be assembly with Rutte on Monday.
“A turning level concerning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is coming,” Graham mentioned.
Markus Schreiber / AP
Whereas NATO’s assertion didn’t state a cause for Rutte’s journey, it comes after Mr. Trump teased final week that he would make a “main assertion” on Russia on Monday, as Ukraine struggles to repel large and sophisticated air assaults launched by Russian forces.
The president additionally hinted that his administration will ship extra defensive weapons to Ukraine amid its warfare with Russia, days after pausing some weapons shipments.
“We’ll ship some extra weapons. Now we have to. They’ve to have the ability to defend themselves,” Mr. Trump advised reporters throughout a White Home occasion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night time.
Mr. Trump advised reporters Sunday the U.S. could be sending extra Patriot missiles to Ukraine, however that he hadn’t but determined what number of.
Graham mentioned on “Face the Nation” to “keep tuned for a plan the place America will start to promote to our European allies great quantities of weapons that may profit Ukraine.”
“The concept of America promoting weapons to assist Ukraine may be very a lot in play,” Graham mentioned. “We have given Ukraine quite a bit. We give them the cash, we give them navy support. We now have a minerals settlement with Ukraine that is value trillions of {dollars}. So, I do not wish to get forward of the President, however keep tuned about seized belongings. The Europeans wish to restrict the curiosity on the belongings to go to Ukraine.”
Rubio mentioned Friday that a few of the U.S.-made weapons that Ukraine is looking for are deployed with NATO allies in Europe. These weapons might be transferred to Ukraine, with European nations shopping for replacements from the U.S., he mentioned.
“It is quite a bit sooner to maneuver one thing, for instance, from Germany to Ukraine than it’s to order it from a (U.S.) manufacturing unit and get it there,” Rubio advised reporters final week throughout a go to to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mr. Trump can also be dealing with calls from Republicans and Democrats, in addition to European allies, to help laws within the Senate that goals to cripple Russia’s oil trade and hit Moscow with U.S. sanctions for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The laws, partly, requires a 500% tariff on items imported from nations that proceed to purchase Russian oil, fuel, uranium and different exports. It could have an unlimited affect on financial behemoths China and India, which account for roughly 70% of Russia’s vitality commerce.
Graham mentioned he and Blumenthal have help for “congressional sanctions with a sledgehammer” that may “go after” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s financial system and “all these nations who prop up the Putin warfare machine.”
“This congressional bundle that we’re taking a look at would give President Trump the flexibility to impose 500% tariffs on any nation that helps Russia, and props up Putin’s warfare machine,” Graham mentioned. “He can dial it up or down. He can go to 0%, to 500%. He has most flexibility. However we’re going after the individuals who hold Putin in enterprise and extra sanctions on Russia itself. That is really a sledgehammer out there to President Trump to finish this warfare.”
Blumenthal mentioned it is a “crucial second” for these sanctions and “bringing down this sledgehammer at this second was emphasised by all the European allies who have been on the assembly that Sen. Graham and I attended in Europe.”
Elsewhere, a number of diplomatic sources advised CBS Information that Mr. Trump is contemplating authorizing contemporary funding for Ukraine for the primary time since he took workplace in January.
The sources indicated the brand new funding might be meant to ship a message to Russia. U.S. officers advised CBS Information Mr. Trump has $3.85 billion in leftover Biden-era presidential drawdown authority sitting at his fingertips, which might be used to ship American navy tools to Ukraine. Former officers additionally advised CBS Information the president has the authority to grab round $5 billion in international Russian belongings and direct the funds to Ukraine, although neither he nor former President Joe Biden has used that energy.
Congress has been ready to behave on the laws, sponsored by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, for a while.
The invoice has overwhelming help within the Senate, however Republican management has been ready for Trump to provide the inexperienced gentle earlier than transferring forward with it. The White Home had expressed some reservations in regards to the laws.
Margaret Brennan
contributed to this report.
