NATO chief to visit Washington on July 14 as Trump prepares 'major statement' on Russia
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will visit Washington on July 14-15, the military alliance's press service announced on July 13.
The visit comes as U.S. President Donald Trump previously said he intends to make a "major" announcement on Russia on July 14, potentially signifying a major policy shift on the war in Ukraine as relations with the Kremlin sour.
"I think I'll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday," Trump told NBC News on July 10, without elaborating on the nature of the statement. "I'm disappointed in Russia, but we'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks," Trump added.
Although NATO's press service did not state the purpose of Rutte's visit, Trump told NBC News that the U.S. had struck a new arrangement with NATO, to transfer American weapons to Ukraine.
"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.
Trump said the deal was finalized during the NATO summit last month, where Trump signalled support for sending more Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
The potential for additional aid as well as Trump's newfound criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin comes as Moscow has refused to agree to a ceasefire, instead increasing its frequency of mass attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Rutte's visit also comes amid news that Trump is reportedly considering authorizing additional funding for Ukraine for the first time since the start of his term as well as the greenlighting new weapons for Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
Rutte is also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and members of Congress, the press service said.
Despite little progress on securing a peace deal, Trump has thus far refused to implement additional pressure on Moscow through new sanctions.
Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are prepared to move forward on a bill that would impose harsher sanctions on Russia and buyers of Russian fossil fuels, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on July 9. However, a senior administration official told Politico that Trump will only support the bill if it preserves the president's ultimate authority over U.S. foreign policy.
