NATO sends major signal to Russia with $1bn ‘pledge’ as peace talks in tatters

NATO countries may soon be ready to spend at least $1billion per month on American weapons and ammunitions for Ukraine. Peace hopes for Ukraine were quickly shattered on Tuesday, after Russian leader Vladimir Putin met a US delegation to discuss the latest iteration of Donald Trump’s peace deal. 

Following the five-hour long meeting, which saw US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in attendance, the Kremlin warned a compromised was yet to be found. Putin’s foreign policy adviser said “there’s still a lot of work to be done” before another meeting between the Russian leader and Mr Trump can be arranged.

On Wednesday morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it would be wrong to say the Kremlin had rejected the US-proposed plan that was discussed yesterday, claiming he had pushed back on some of the proposals included in Mr Trump’s draft rather than the whole agreement.

Just hours later, as NATO foreign ministers met in Brussels, German news outlet Der Spiegel reported NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte now wants the alliance to start regularly purchasing billions of dollars worth of US weapons for Ukraine.

The publication said that, starting in 2026, Mr Rutte’s plan would see NATO members purchasing at least $1bn (£75m) every month on American weapons and ammunition for the war-torn nation.

A similar move, if confirmed, would send a strong signal to the world that the Western alliance is still ready to support Ukraine’s resistance.

It could also be seen favourably by Mr Trump, who in the past has complained about the US contributing far too much to the alliance compared to its European members.

Mr Rutte’s reported plan, which would see US weapons being sold to Europe and Canada and then made available to Ukraine, would fall under the so-called PURL initiative – “Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List”.