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U.S. President Donald Trump is going to unveil a major new Ukraine weapons initiative on Monday that will include offensive weapons systems, marking a shift from Washington's previous stance, according to a report by Axios.
The announcement will be made during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House. The move, described as "very aggressive" by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, follows Trump's growing frustration with the Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"Trump is really pissed at Putin. His announcement tomorrow is going to be very aggressive," Graham told Axios on July 14.
On Monday and Tuesday, the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, will visit Washington, D.C. The Secretary General will meet with Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth, as well as members of Congress.
According to two sources briefed on the plan, Washington may provide long-range missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory, including Moscow.
While no final decision has been confirmed, President Trump told reporters Sunday that Patriot air defense systems will be sent to Ukraine.
"We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need," Trump said at Joint Base Andrews, adding, "They’re going to give us 100 for 100 for them. It is going to be a business for us."
He did not specify the number of systems to be sent, stating, "I haven’t agreed on the number yet, but they’re going to have some because they do need protection."
The initiative will involve European countries paying for U.S.-made military equipment that will be delivered to Ukraine.
"The European Union is paying for it. We're not paying anything for it, but we will send it," Trump told reporters.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials described the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting at the summit as their best yet. Zelenskyy, dressed in a suit for the first time since 2022, reportedly made a strong impression.
"Zelenskyy came like a normal human being, not crazy, and was dressed like somebody who should be at NATO. He had a group of people with him who also seemed not crazy. So they had a good conversation," a U.S. official said to Axios.
Trump's announcement represents a notable hardening of his stance toward Moscow after initially seeking diplomatic solutions to end the three-year conflict.
"Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice, and then he bombs everybody in the evening, but there's a little bit of a problem there: I don't like it," Trump said.
"He wants to take all of it," Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a source familiar with the call speaking to Axios.
Russian forces are reportedly planning to push further into Ukrainian territories within the next 60 days.
Trump, previously hesitant to escalate tensions, has since adopted a firmer posture.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress is contemplating new bipartisan legislation to impose further tariffs on countries that support the Russian economy.
Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal are also advancing bipartisan legislation titled the "Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025," which is expected to empower the president to impose 500% tariffs on countries that "support" Russia's economy.
"This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war," Graham told CBS News.
"For months, President Trump has tried to entice (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to the peace table. He's put tariffs against countries that allow fentanyl to come into our country and other bad behavior—he's left the door open regarding Russia. That door is about to close," he added.
The bill, with 85 co-sponsors, would target nations importing Russian oil, gas, and uranium, including China, India, and Brazil. "We're going after the people who keep Putin in business and additional sanctions on Russia itself," Graham said.
Sen. Graham and Sen. Blumenthal will also meet with Rutte to discuss unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the U.S. for Ukrainian use.
"The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it's time to do it," Blumenthal told CBS.
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