Sawt Falasteen - Trump teases 'major statement' on Russia ahead of NATO talks

Trump, seeking to negotiate an end to the three-year war, has expressed growing impatience with the Kremlin leader, and over the weekend announced a fresh weapons cache for Ukraine.

"We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need," Trump said Sunday, referring to the air defense system.

He did not specify how many weapons he would send, but added that he would make a "major statement... on Russia" on Monday, when NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will be in Washington.

The White House has U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv, instead announcing a new deal which would involve NATO purchasing some US weapons to send to Ukraine.

In a statement, NATO said Rutte will be in Washington on Monday and Tuesday and will also meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rutte's 10 am (1400 GMT) Oval Office meeting on Monday will be closed to media.

"We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they're going to pay us 100 percent for them," Trump said.

"It'll be business for us," he added.

Trump also repeated that he was "disappointed" in Putin, as he grows increasingly exasperated with the Russian leader.

"Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening," Trump said on Sunday, as he returned from watching the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey.

Last week, Trump accused Putin of throwing "bullshit" at Washington on Ukraine, openly frustrated with the impasse on peace efforts.

As he began his second stint in office in January, Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to swiftly end the war in Ukraine, and held off on hiking sanctions, unlike Kyiv's European allies.

But Russia has for months refused a ceasefire proposed by the United States and Ukraine.

Trump has hinted he might be ready to slap sanctions on Moscow as momentum grows for a deterrent package in Congress.

When asked about whether he would announce any levies against Russia, Trump responded: "We're going to see what we will see tomorrow, OK?" and repeated plans to meet with Rutte.

- 'Sledgehammer' -

Republican senators meanwhile are touting a bipartisan bill that would arm Trump with a "sledgehammer" to use against Russia.

The sanctions bill would allow Trump "to go after Putin's economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told broadcaster CBS news.

It "would give President Trump the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country that helps Russia," said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil.

"This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war," said Graham.

Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were also due to meet NATO's Rutte on Monday.

Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.

"The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it's time to do it," said Blumenthal.

Zelensky said the proposed bill "is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty".

The Kremlin has previously said that sending arms to Ukraine would only prolong the conflict.

Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has shown little appetite for ending the conflict despite pressure from Trump.

Over the summer, Russia has escalated its offensive and advanced the front line, launching some of the largest missile and drone attacks of the war.

N.Shalabi--SF-PST