Trump Plans ‘Major’ Russia Statement Monday, Mulls Sanctions

President Donald Trump said he plans to make a “major statement” on Russia, as the US prepares to send more American weapons to Ukraine via purchases from NATO allies.

“I think I'll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday,” Trump told NBC News in a telephone interview.

Trump, in the interview, reiterated criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine. He also said he expects the Senate to pass a tougher Russia sanctions bill sponsored by a close ally, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

“It's at my option if I want to use it,” Trump said of the measure. “They're going to pass a very major and very biting sanctions bill, but it's up to the president as to whether or not he wants to exercise it.

Trump told NBC that he and NATO leaders had reached an agreement in which allies would pay for US arms that would be then sent to Ukraine.

“We're sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%,” Trump said. “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, and NATO is paying for those weapons.”

He added that he was unaware of a pause ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth halting distribution of a planned weapons shipment to Ukraine.

The president's remarks came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Kuala Lumpur.

Russia has been pounding Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with record numbers of drones and missiles, leading Trump to express his mounting frustration with Putin in recent days.

The US arms headed for Ukraine include air-defense missiles, artillery shells and other hardware, a decision that swept aside an earlier pause by the Pentagon, which reflected Trump's frustration over the billions of dollars in aid sent to Kyiv since the war started in 2022.