Two senior Senate Republicans have unveiled legislation that would enable European allies to finance US weapons donations to Ukraine, providing the most detailed framework yet for President Trump’s proposal to shift war funding to Europe, The Wall Street Journal reported on 30 July.
The Peace Act, proposed by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), would establish a Treasury fund to accept money from allies, allowing the Defense Secretary to pay contractors to replenish US stockpil
Two senior Senate Republicans have unveiled legislation that would enable European allies to finance US weapons donations to Ukraine, providing the most detailed framework yet for President Trump’s proposal to shift war funding to Europe, The Wall Street Journal reported on 30 July.
The Peace Act, proposed by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), would establish a Treasury fund to accept money from allies, allowing the Defense Secretary to pay contractors to replenish US stockpiles while continuing weapons shipments to Ukraine without compromising American military readiness, according to GOP aides familiar with the proposal.
The legislation aims to generate $5 billion to $8 billion annually, with Germany and the United Kingdom identified as likely contributors, the aides said.
“This is the fastest way to arm Ukraine as well as to minimize the strategic and military threat posed by Russia to the US and NATO,” Wicker said, according to the WSJ.
The proposal comes as Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rejection of US-led cease-fire efforts. After initially giving Putin a 50-day deadline for a cease-fire, Trump moved that deadline up to 10 days on 28 July, threatening Russia and its trading partners with new tariffs and secondary sanctions if Moscow refuses to negotiate.
Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Risch, who leads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have discussed the legislation with the White House, which has been “largely receptive to the idea,” aides said. The plan involves passing the measure later this year as part of the annual defense policy bill.
The mechanism would complement existing European payments to US contractors for new weapon production, which can take years to complete. The Peace Act would accelerate delivery by tapping existing US inventories, according to the WSJ report.
The US has provided nearly $66 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, but the Republican-led Congress shows little appetite for authorizing additional foreign aid packages.
Trump has approximately $3.85 billion in previously authorized drawdown authority remaining, though he has not yet used this tool to send new arms packages to Ukraine. His administration continues delivering previously approved weapons packages from the Biden era, following a brief Pentagon pause in certain munitions earlier this month.
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“Let’s put out this raging fire,” declared the fireman – then he grabbed a can of gasoline.
That, in essence, is Elbridge Colby’s strategy for contesting China’s rise: letting Russia – Beijing’s most dangerous partner and increasingly a vassal – dismember Ukraine with impunity.
In his widely cited book The Strategy of Denial, Colby argues that America’s overriding priority must be to prevent the People’s Republic of China – which he identifies as a hostile hegemon – from dominating the In
“Let’s put out this raging fire,” declared the fireman – then he grabbed a can of gasoline.
That, in essence, is Elbridge Colby’s strategy for contesting China’s rise: letting Russia – Beijing’s most dangerous partner and increasingly a vassal – dismember Ukraine with impunity.
In his widely cited book The Strategy of Denial, Colby argues that America’s overriding priority must be to prevent the People’s Republic of China – which he identifies as a hostile hegemon – from dominating the Indo-Pacific. That requires a narrow, disciplined focus on deterrence, building trust with allies, and showing adversaries that American commitments are ironclad.
And yet, Colby, who wrote this magnum opus, cannot possibly be the same person who threw Ukraine under the bus – to China’s very public delight. No wonder Sen. Mitch McConnell called his ideas “geostrategic self-harm” when voting against his confirmation.
Pentagon policy chief halts Ukraine weapons despite military analysis
A bombshell Politicoinvestigation revealed that the architect of the recent weapons halt to Ukraine was none other than Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Colby. The official justification was concern over stockpile levels – a legitimate consideration that might warrant careful management of aid flows.
But this rationale collapsed under scrutiny. Military analysts inside the Department of Defense concluded that continuing aid to Ukraine would not compromise American readiness.
The decision also undercut the White House’s stated goal: a ceasefire agreed to by both parties. Ukraine accepted the proposal months ago. Russia didn’t just refuse, it mocked the peace talks and made Washington look weak and indecisive.
On 4 July, following the Trump-Putin phone call, Russia hit Ukraine with the largest drone attack of the war. 11 missiles and 539 Russian-Iranian Shahed drones were fired at Kyiv over a seven-hour onslaught. This record was shattered just five days later, on 9 July, when Russia launched 728 drones and 13 missiles in another massive assault.
These attacks, it turns out, are made possible by China.
According to Bloomberg, 92% of the foreign components found in the killer drones terrorizing Ukrainian cities are of Chinese origin. And on 23 July, The Telegraph reported that Russia now deploys fully Chinese-made drones to prosecute its criminal war in Ukraine.
On the very day Colby’s meddling with congressionally mandated weapons deliveries made headlines, Wang Yi – the top foreign policy official in the Chinese Communist Party – laid Beijing’s position bare: “China cannot allow Russia to lose the war in Ukraine,” he told European diplomats in a closed-door briefing.
China enjoys a favorable view among 81% of Russians, while 71% express hostility toward the EU. Ukraine and the United States are the only countries regarded with greater contempt.
A Levada poll showing Russians’ favorable attitude to China
Why Russia won’t abandon China for Western partnership
The idea that Washington can somehow coax Russia into abandoning China and joining the West runs counter to everything we know about the Kremlin’s imperial legacy. Moscow’s legitimacy rests on denying agency to the peoples it subjugates – from serfs during tsarist times to the inhabitants of the Russian Federation today.
America’s Constitution begins with a phrase the Kremlin sees as a mortal threat: We the People. The freedom and dignity that Americans and Europeans wish for the many Peoples of Russia are exactly what threatens Moscow’s system of oppression and subjugation.
Since 2022, Colby has argued for sacrificing Ukraine on the altar of “American interests.” But what lies ahead is the loss of American security to wishful thinking and incompetence.
How weakening Ukraine undermines American deterrence globally
By crippling Ukraine, Colby is doing precisely what his doctrine warned against: enabling the consolidation of a China–Russia-Iran-North Korea axis that threatens US interests far beyond Eastern Europe. American deterrence hinges on reliable commitments. So what message does a cut-off to Ukraine send to Taiwan, Japan, or the Philippines?
America forfeits credibility by broadcasting indifference and betraying people who just want to defend their home and not be murdered by Russia. The erosion of resolve is how great powers stumble into wars they try to avoid.
Ukraine has already shown that denial works. With the right tools, it has sunk much of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, retaken territory, and exposed the limits of Russian air power – most recently in Operation Spiderweb, which destroyed a row of Moscow’s bombers deep behind enemy lines.
Putting the moral case aside, aiding Ukraine is a strategic imperative under Colby’s own framework. Moscow reintroduced overt territorial conquest into modern geopolitics. In such a world, US force projection in East Asia grows harder and exponentially more expensive to sustain.
Explore further
Why Ukraine’s fight is key to defeating Russia-China-North Korea alliance
While Washington burns through nearly a trillion dollars each year on defense, the $40 billion the United States sent annually to Kyiv since 2022 is a minor fraction of that sum – and a bargain, when you consider the cost of letting deterrence collapse.
The truth is, abandoning Ukraine won’t deny China’s rise; it will enable it. It won’t isolate Moscow or draw it closer to the West; it will bind the Kremlin even more tightly to Beijing. It won’t preserve US leadership, it will shred the very credibility on which that leadership depends.
In Colby’s hands, the strategy of denial has morphed into a doctrine of permission. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping couldn’t have asked for a better gift.
Andrew Chakhoyan is an Academic Director at the University of Amsterdam and a former U.S. government official at the Millennium Challenge Corporation. A Ukrainian-American, he studied at Harvard Kennedy School and Donetsk State Technical University.
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Ukraine receives Patriot air defense systems, and it’s just the beginning. The US and its allies have provided the systems under a new scheme in which European nations foot the bill for American weapons supplied to Kyiv, The Washington Post reports.
US-made Patriot air defense systems are the only weapons in Ukraine that are capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Two more is on the way
Germany has already delivered three Patriots. One more is under discussion with the US, while B
Ukraine receives Patriot air defense systems, and it’s just the beginning. The US and its allies have provided the systems under a new scheme in which European nations foot the bill for American weapons supplied to Kyiv, The Washington Post reports.
US-made Patriot air defense systems are the only weapons in Ukraine that are capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Two more is on the way
Germany has already deliveredthree Patriots. One more is under discussion with the US, while Berlin has pledged to help provide a total of five.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has confirmed this during a meeting of Ukraine’s allies, without going into further detail.
In the first half of 2025, 6,754 civilians in Ukraine were killed or injured, the highest number for a six-month period since 2022, the UN reports. In July alone, Russia launched at least 5,183 long-range munitions at Ukraine, including a record 728 drones on 9 July. Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and the port city of Odesa have been hit hardest in recent weeks.
Ukraine aims for ten systems
Kyiv is aiming to receive ten Patriots under the new arrangement. Some batteries could even come from outside NATO. For instance, Switzerland has agreed to redirect five systems it had previously ordered to Ukraine, and will receive its own later.
Under the new scheme, Ukraine will also receive advanced radars, electronic warfare systems, drone interceptors, and artillery platforms, according to two informed officials.
Long-range missiles? Germany says no, the US still weighing options
Meanwhile, the issue of long-range weapons remains unresolved. Germany has already ruled out supplying Taurus cruise missiles. The US has not provided a clear signal. NATO officials are not ready to confirm that such transfers will not happen in the future, despite US President Donald Trump’s refusal.
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German company Hensoldt AG says it has received an order worth € 340 million to supply Ukraine’s air defense forces with TRML-4D and SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII radar systems. These radar systems have already been in use in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
The announcement came amid Russia’s escalated attacks on Ukraine. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented 232 civilian deaths and 1,343 injuries in June 2025, marking the highest monthly casualty toll in thre
German company Hensoldt AG says it has received an order worth € 340 million to supply Ukraine’s air defense forces with TRML-4D and SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII radar systems. These radar systems have already been in use in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
The announcement came amid Russia’s escalated attacks on Ukraine. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented 232 civilian deaths and 1,343 injuries in June 2025, marking the highest monthly casualty toll in three years as Russian forces launched ten times more missile strikes and drone attacks than in June 2024.
“Our high-performance radars are urgently needed by Ukrainian air defence,” says Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dörre, emphasizing that the company is proud to supply systems that are “critically important for protecting civilians.”
What is TRML-4D?
TRML-4D radars are based on advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array technology. They can simultaneously detect and track up to 1,500 targets within a radius of up to 250 km, including drones, aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles.
Their fast response time and ability to operate under complex conditions make TRML-4D systems essential in providing precise countermeasures against Russian aerial attacks.
SPEXER 2000 is the “eyes” of Skyranger guns
SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII systems are designed for the automatic detection and classification of ground, maritime, and low-flying aerial targets. They are integrated into the Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 air defense gun system, which provides close-range and very short-range protection.
The system is based on the wheeled armored Boxer vehicle, equipped with a combat module featuring a 30mm Swiss Oerlikon KCA gun firing 1,200 rounds per minute. Optionally, it can be fitted with a launcher for two FIM-92 Stinger or Mistral missiles, according to Militarnyi.
The gun’s ammunition includes a wide range of shells, including airburst rounds with radio fuses. The total ammunition load consists of 252 30mm shells. The vehicle is equipped with five antennas, providing full 360-degree coverage.
It also features the Rheinmetall FIRST passive target acquisition system, which excels at detecting small targets. Since it emits no radar signal, the system can operate without being detected by enemy electronic intelligence.
The system is a part of Germany’s NNbS program, a new short-range air defense “umbrella” for the Bundeswehr, meaning Ukraine is receiving the best from NATO’s arsenal.
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Ukraine is preparing for a new phase of the war. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says Kyiv forces will receive secret weapons to “influence” Russia’s territory, Zeit reports.
Russia does not intend to end its war against Ukraine. On the contrary, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump that military actions would escalate during the summer offensive. He also claimed that Ukraine and Russia are “one people” and intensified aerial terror against civilians. Trump said P
Ukraine is preparing for a new phase of the war. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says Kyiv forces will receive secret weapons to “influence” Russia’s territory, Zeit reports.
Russia does not intend to end its war against Ukraine. On the contrary, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump that military actions would escalate during the summer offensive. He also claimed that Ukraine and Russia are “one people” and intensified aerial terror against civilians. Trump said Putin has only 50 days to reach a peace deal with Ukraine. In response, Russia launched massive attacks on Ukraine, clearly demonstrating Moscow’s refusal to stop killing Ukrainians.
Wadephul emphasizes that European partners are now working intensively on the weapons delivery for Ukraine. He explains that the issue is not about finances but about the defense industry’s production capacity.
“Ukraine has the right to defend itself against attacks. It will also have the ability to affect Russian territory, but we will not reveal to Putin what weapon systems we are supplying to Ukraine,” Wadephul states.
He has not mentioned specific names or dates for the deliveries. Separately, Wadephul says he had stopped looking for logic in the Russian terror against Ukrainian civilians.
“He will stop only when he realizes his plan isn’t working,” the German minister concludes.
In July, Germany announced it would supply five Patriot systems, which are to be delivered to Ukraine “soon.” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed he had reached an agreement with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the delivery. The Patriots are the only systems Ukraine has that can intercept Russian ballistic missiles.
Berlin also announced plans to supply over 200,000 shells for Gepard systems capable of shooting down Russian drones, and to fund the purchase of Ukrainian long-range drones to strike targets deep in the Russian rear.
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Russia drops 250 bombs on Ukraine’s forest—then gets crushed by Bradleys and good old-fashioned flanking. Russia fired hundreds of KAB glide bombs at a single treeline—then retreated from Sumy anyway.
Can Ukraine’s $ 1,000 drones really beat Russia’s $ 35,000 Shaheds?. The missiles are too expens
. The Third Assault Brigade guided captured Russian soldiers directly to Ukrainian lines using an aerial drone, with no Ukrainian infantry present during the entire operation.
As of 16 JUL 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:
. Up to 17 Patriot air defense systems are heading to Ukraine as President Trump announced a policy shift toward providing offensive weapons, including potential authorization for long-range strikes deep inside Russia.
Kellogg attends Ukrainian National Guard training in Kyiv. US President’s Special Representative Keith Kellogg observed tank crew training and drone demonstrations at Ukrainian National Guard facilities on 16 July, marking his third day of high-level meetings in Kyiv aimed at advancing defense cooperation between the two countries.
. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov called Trump’s 50-day ceasefire deadline “”unacceptable”” while Putin has yet to officially respond to the ultimatum.
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France will not participate in a new initiative allowing European countries to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, according to French officials familiar with the matter, Politico reports.
The decision reflects Paris’s long-standing position that Europeans should strengthen their own defense industrial base through domestic procurement rather than relying on US suppliers.
The weapons procurement scheme emerged following discussions between NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and President Donal
France will not participate in a new initiative allowing European countries to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, according to French officials familiar with the matter, Politico reports.
The decision reflects Paris’s long-standing position that Europeans should strengthen their own defense industrial base through domestic procurement rather than relying on US suppliers.
The weapons procurement scheme emerged following discussions between NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, where Trump announced on 14 July the US would indirectly provide weapons for Ukraine by permitting European allies to purchase them.
Trump unveiled a $10 billion NATO-coordinated weapons package, under which the US will sell advanced military equipment, including missiles, artillery shells, and up to 17 Patriot air defense systems, to NATO allies, who will then supply these arms to Ukraine. Europe also considers using profits from nearly €200 billion in frozen Russian assets to help finance the package.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz positioned his country as a central player in the initiative, with Rutte noting that Germany is “massively” invested in the plan, according to Politico. German officials privately claim the initiative originated as a German idea, driven by their assessment that Trump’s stated “disappointment” with Russian President Vladimir Putin created an opportunity for enhanced cooperation.
The procurement arrangement represents what German officials describe as a strategic workaround designed to address Trump’s hesitation about directly increasing military aid to Ukraine.
A German government adviser told Politico the strategy “would enable the US administration to increase the pressure on Russia and strengthen its support for Ukraine, while at the same time allowing it to remain one step behind the Europeans.”
European leaders calculated that Trump, who views international relations through the lens of financial transactions, would be more receptive to weapons transfers if Europeans purchased them, allowing the US to profit from the sales. The approach also provides Trump political cover with isolationist elements within his movement who oppose direct American involvement in Ukraine’s defense.
On 15 July, President Trump announced that the first Patriot air defense missiles destined for Ukraine are already being shipped from Germany with an aim to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities amid intense Russian missile and drone attacks on civilians.
Meanwhile, Rutte identified four Nordic countries along with the United Kingdom and Netherlands as supporting the weapons purchase plan. However, France’s absence from this list reflects broader European divisions over defense procurement strategy.
Two French officials confirmed to Politico that Paris will not join the US weapons buying initiative, citing President Emmanuel Macron’s consistent advocacy for building European defense industrial capacity through local procurement. France’s position is further complicated by budgetary constraints as the government attempts to reduce spending and address its significant deficit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded positively to the announcement, writing on social media platform X that “we appreciate the readiness to provide additional Patriots, and the US, Germany, and Norway are already working together on this.”
Earlier, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized the need for the United States to share the financial burden of supplying weapons to Ukraine, pointing out that promising weapons while shifting the cost to others is not true support.
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Germany, Denmark, Netherlands plan to buy US-made Patriots, capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, for Ukraine
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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Washington should “share the burden” of arms deliveries to Ukraine rather than expecting European allies to fund American weapons purchases.
This comes as President Trump announced a $10 billion weapons package for Ukraine on 14 July. This NATO-coordinated military aid, which includes up to 17 Patriot air defense systems, is planned to be funded and distributed primarily by European NATO allies. For example, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Washington should “share the burden” of arms deliveries to Ukraine rather than expecting European allies to fund American weapons purchases.
This comes as President Trump announced a $10 billion weapons package for Ukraine on 14 July. This NATO-coordinated military aid, which includes up to 17 Patriot air defense systems, is planned to be funded and distributed primarily by European NATO allies. For example, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands have already committed to purchasing US-made Patriots to supply Ukraine. Europe is also considering using profits from nearly €200 billion of frozen Russian assets to fund the $10 billion weapons package.
“We welcome President Trump’s announcement to send more weapons to Ukraine, although we would like to see US to share the burden. America and Europe are working together,” Kallas said after a Brussels meeting of EU foreign ministers on 15 July.
NATO maintains that Europe now contributes the majority of weapons flowing to Ukraine, countering Trump’s characterization of burden distribution.
According to Kallas, “If you promise to provide weapons but say someone else will pay for them, then you’re not actually providing them.”
Trump also offered to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles as part of a broader $10 billion NATO-backed military aid package.
However, Ukrainian military intelligence noted that Ukraine lacks the necessary launch platforms such as strategic bombers or combat ships to effectively deploy these missiles.
Previously, Trump had emphasized supplying only defensive weapons and was cautious about escalating the conflict with Russia. However, growing frustration with Russian President Putin’s rejection of peace efforts and intensifying Russian attacks on civilians appears to have changed his stance.
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Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, passed alarming information to US Presidential Special Representative Keith Kellogg during their meeting in Kyiv. Russia is preparing for a major war, not only against Ukraine but also against NATO.
On 14 July, Kellogg arrived in Ukraine to discuss concrete steps toward peace. He has already met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The talks came against the backdrop of intensified Russian assaults, with over 330 missiles, 5,
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, passed alarming information to US Presidential Special Representative Keith Kellogg during their meeting in Kyiv. Russia is preparing for a major war, not only against Ukraine but also against NATO.
On 14 July, Kellogg arrived in Ukraine to discuss concrete steps toward peace. He has already met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The talks came against the backdrop of intensified Russian assaults, with over 330 missiles, 5,000 drones, and 5,000 aerial bombs launched in June alone. Kellogg’s visit to Kyiv coincided with Washington’s announcement of additional Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine.
The meeting was also attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Chief of the General Staff, Andrii Hnatov, and other intelligence officials. The American side was briefed on an updated assessment of the operational situation and the Kremlin’s plans for 2036.
“The Kremlin’s imperial ambitions are not limited to Ukraine. They encompass all of Europe. However, with US support, we are capable of stopping Russia and nullifying its military potential,” Budanov emphasized.
The head of the intelligence agency thanked the US for its assistance and stressed, “Russia respects only strength,” and that only through strong resistance can Ukraine achieve a true and lasting peace.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump, frustrated by fruitless “pleasant talks” with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine, issued an ultimatum to Moscow. He said that if the Kremlin doesn’t reach a peace agreement within 50 days, the White House will impose 100% tariffs on Russia. This effectively gives Putin 1,5 months to continue killing Ukrainian civilians. Trump also did not clarify what would happen if Moscow refuses to sign any deal with Kyiv.
Later, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev openly mocked Trump’s statements, saying the Kremlin is indifferent to Washington’s new threats.
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