Netherlands, Scandinavian states look to join Trump Ukraine arms plan

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice president of the European Commission addresses journalists before the EU-Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, on July 14, 2025. [AFP] Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands on Tuesday said they wanted to participate in US President Donald Trump's plan for Europe to buy American weapons for Ukraine. Trump announced a tougher line on Moscow over its war in Ukraine on Monday as he gave the Kremlin 50 days to end the fighting or face massive new economic sanctions. With NATO chief Mark Rutte, Trump also unveiled a deal under which European members of the alliance would buy billions of dollars of arms from the United States -- including Patriot anti-missile batteries -- and send them to Ukraine. Economic powerhouse Germany has already said it is going to play a leading role in the scheme and has offered to buy two Patriot systems. Denmark's foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that his country was "absolutely ready" to join the scheme and would contribute with cash. "We have to work out the details," he said. His Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp said the Netherlands was looking into the scheme "with a positive inclination". "We will look into what we can do in relation to Mr Trump's announcements and take it from there," he said. Sweden's Defence Minister Pal Jonson said his country "would contribute". "We welcome the US announcement that it will enable increased sanctions against Russia and open up for deliveries of Patriot systems and other weapon systems to Ukraine," Jonson told AFP in a written statement. He noted that Ukraine was "in great need of more air defence," given Russia's "constant bombings and attacks." One of the major questions hanging over the US plan is how fast it can get desperately needed weaponry to Ukraine as it faces nightly Russian bombardments. Rutte said the scheme could allow European countries to send weaponry to Ukraine from their stocks that would be then replaced by new US arms. But few countries possess systems like Patriots and those that do have frequently argued that they cannot spare more. He said that beyond Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, NATO members Canada, Norway, and Britain were also among the potential buyers. "Norway is in close dialogue with Ukraine on how we can best assist the country with military support," Norwegian defence minister Tore O. Sandvik said in a written statement to AFP, also noting that air defence was a "high priority". Meanwhile, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told public broadcaster YLE that his government would "evaluate each decision case by case as we receive more detailed information." Trump's apparent pivot away from an attempted rapprochement with Russia's President Vladimir Putin will please Washington's European allies. "After yesterday's announcements, it's clear that leadership is once again coming from the US," said Lithuanian foreign minister Kestutis Budrys. European countries admit that helping Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia's invasion would be very difficult without access to US weaponry.

Netherlands, Scandinavian states look to join Trump Ukraine arms plan

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Netherlands, Scandinavian states look to join Trump Ukraine arms plan

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