US President Donald Trump has announced plans to provide military aid to Ukraine, including new equipment and economic measures against Russia. The announcement comes amid ongoing violence between Ukraine and Russia, with Russian forces continuing to bombard Ukraine overnight into Tuesday.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had downed at least 70 Ukrainian drones, while the Ukrainian air force reported shooting down 244 drones. At least 24 people were injured in southwestern Voronezh region after being targeted by Russian forces.
Trump claimed that he would impose “severe tariffs” on Russia and its trading partners if a ceasefire deal is not reached within 50 days. The White House clarified that Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing.
The US President also announced a new tranche of military aid to Ukraine worth billions of dollars. However, details of the equipment are unclear, with 17 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems set to be sent from European allies.
Experts say that the announcement is a sign of “maximum pressure” on Russia by Trump. Ukrainian backers in the Senate have urged Trump to commit to sustained security assistance to Ukraine over the long-term.
The US has negligible imports from Russia, but secondary tariffs or sanctions on nations doing business with Russia could prompt retaliatory measures against the US. China and India are among Moscow’s customers for its fossil fuel exports.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-didnt-care-trumps-weapons-ukraine-tariff-threats/story?id=123759807