In a dramatic reversal of the Biden-era approach to the war in Ukraine, President Donald J. Trump is reportedly delivering on a key promise: getting NATO allies to foot the bill for arming Kyiv.
The move, announced last month and now materializing in concrete steps, reflects Trump’s long-standing insistence that Europe take greater responsibility for its own defense.
According to three Western officials, Ukraine’s backers will establish a NATO-managed holding account to allow allies to purchase U.S. weapons on Ukraine’s behalf — shifting the burden from American taxpayers to Europe’s wealthier capitals.
The plan, according to a senior NATO military official, is designed not only to reinforce Ukraine’s defense but ultimately to bring Russia to the negotiating table.
“We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons and they’re going to be paying for them,” Trump said in July during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House. “We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”
The account will be funded by voluntary contributions from NATO member states, and administered under the oversight of General Alexus Grynkewich, the Supreme Allied Commander for Europe.
Grynkewich will review Ukraine’s battlefield requests and balance them against U.S. military requirements before releasing American-made or -supplied weapons.
The weapons will largely be sourced from U.S. defense production lines, generating both economic activity at home and strategic stability abroad.
According to one official, the fund’s initial target is $10 billion — a figure dwarfed by past U.S. commitments but symbolically significant. Under President Biden, the U.S. gave weapons directly from its own stockpiles at American expense.
Trump’s shift effectively ends that model, placing the responsibility — and the financial costs — squarely on the shoulders of NATO partners who have long benefitted from American protection.
The shift represents a broader recalibration of the U.S.-Europe security relationship under Trump’s leadership, one that places renewed emphasis on accountability and burden-sharing.
For years, Trump has criticized NATO allies for failing to meet their defense spending obligations while relying heavily on U.S. resources. With this move, he appears to be turning rhetoric into policy.
“This is a smarter, fairer way to support Ukraine without sacrificing American priorities,” a NATO source said.
Though some in the foreign policy establishment may balk at the change, the Trump administration’s approach signals a pivot toward pragmatic diplomacy — one in which allies are expected to act like true partners, not passive recipients of American aid.
