US frees up more Patriot missiles for Ukraine

The Trump administration has moved Germany ahead of Switzerland for the next Patriot air-defense systems off the production line, paving the way for Berlin to send two Patriots it already has to Ukraine, according to three US officials.

This move allows Germany to send their weapons to Ukraine without losing weapons to defend themselves. Instead of the US giving Ukraine Patriot missiles directly, they are giving them to Germany as replacements for the missiles that Germany gives Ukraine.

President Trump has taken a more pro helping arm Ukraine stance than he had in the first few months of his presidency, seeing that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not acting in good faith to find an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump recently stated that Russia has 50 days to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine, before the US starts tariffing countries that trade with Russia at 100%. This gives enough time to come to an agreement before tariffs kick in, but also placed a modicum of pressure on Moscow.

It seems that Mr Trump’s previous approach of leniency on Russia has not borne any fruit, and consequently the President is trying a different approach. All of these things are fluid, so it is not certain that Trump will see this tougher approach on Russia out.

But President Trump has been known to surprise the public with the actions he takes and deals he is able to make, so it is possible that this could be the start of an actual peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Of course, even if a peace agreement were reached, it is hard to believe that Russia would honor it long term without mechanisms to enforce it. This is a very complex issue, and it would behoove Mr Trump to be cautious and disciplined as he tries to find a lasting solution.