On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump approved the European purchase of Patriot missile defense systems and other weapons for Ukraine . But that doesn't mean Trump believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holds the cards, POLITICO reports.
According to a senior White House official, Trump still believes Moscow has the upper hand in the war. “The president thinks Russia will win, the question is how long it will take” said a senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Russia has a bigger economy, a bigger military, more than enough bodies to throw in a meat grinder, and it just doesn't care. And even though they're making progress slowly, they're making progress. The president just wants to stop the killing,” he said.
Trump said on Wednesday in a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that the United States would sell weapons to Europe and Canada, which would then go to Ukraine. American taxpayers would not be harmed, Trump said. Two senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump’s response was largely a reaction to Putin’s indifference to efforts to broker a peace deal.
Trump specifically cited a NATO meeting last month, during which nearly all members pledged to increase defense spending, as a reason for his decision to provide more support to Ukraine.
Trump even praised Ukrainians for their courage on the battlefield. But many in the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement remain wary and confused by how quickly the president has gone from accusing Zelensky of ingratitude to holding up the Ukrainians as an example of courage.