Ukraine war latest: Trump says deal made to sell weapons to NATO to help Ukraine – and threatens Russia with ‘severe tariffs’ | World News

Donald Trump has made “a significant policy shift” in his attitude towards Ukraine and Russia, US correspondent Mark Stone has said.

He said the US president wants his legacy to be that of a peacemaker in many world conflicts.

Comparing Trump’s news conference with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte today to his argumentative meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February, he said: “It is remarkable how this is a seismic shift.

“He hasn’t until now been able to recognise that Russia is the aggressor in this. He has not been able to side America with the Ukrainians. That today has changed, and that is a big moment indeed.”

He said the details of what arms the US will sell to NATO to give to Ukraine “are a bit woolly” and we do not yet know whether he will sell offensive as well as defensive weapons.

“Because Trump is Trump, he’s framing all this as a deal, as a transaction – he’s a transactional president,” he said.

“In order to placate his base and those within his own America First coalition, he’s saying to them don’t worry, we are going to get a whole load of money out of this because we are selling these weapons to the Europeans.”

He added: “Be in no doubt this is a significant policy shift by the Trump administration.”