Summary of the day
Donald Trump announced in a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte that the US would send Patriot anti-aircraft batteries and interceptor missiles to Ukraine, paid for by European allies.
He promised that additional Patriot systems would arrive within days, funded by Germany and other Nato partners, which would be a significant step in helping Ukraine to defend itself. Kyiv is believed to have only six functioning Patriot batteries.
Here are the key moments of today:
Trump said he was “very, very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened with secondary tariffs of up to 100% if there is no progress on peace deal within 50 days (17:17).
Trump said “it’s got to stop,” with criticising “all talk” from Putin as Russia continued its attacks on Ukrainian cities (17:28, 17:46)
Trump confirmed a deal with Nato allies, mostly from Europe, on new weapon deliveries that will help Ukraine (17:21).
Trump said of Putin: ““I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy.”
Rutte said Ukraine will “get its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment” for air defence and on missiles to fight back against Russia, and urged Putin to take Trump’s warning seriously (17:27).
Separately, Trump suggested he was still open for trade talks with the EU, saying the bloc’s representatives were “coming over” soon (17:39).
The European Commission could put forward a new list of US goods worth €72bn that could be targeted by EU levies if tariff talks with Washington fail. EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič said the proposal was shared with EU trade ministers meeting in Brussels.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he asked the first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko to “lead the government” and become the new prime minister of the wartorn country.
Analysis - Trump’s hazy Ukraine arms announcement marks a tonal U-turn
For those looking for details, Donald Trump’s rambling half-hour press conference in the Oval Office with the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, offered only a handful of clues. The US will sell weapons to Ukraine, the president said, with other Nato countries paying the bill – but otherwise specifics were scant.
No sums of money were mentioned – making it hard to calibrate how much of a difference the proposed weapon supply would make to Kyiv. Details were light on what munitions would be supplied though Trump mentioned complete Patriot missile systems and Rutte added there would be “missiles and ammunition” too.
It is hard to know precisely what amount of military purchases would make a difference and perhaps force Vladimir Putin to consider calling for a ceasefire. But in the crudest sense, any package worth more than $10bn would certainly send a signal to Moscow, when considered in the light of the $67bn previously given by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, to Ukraine over nearly three years.
Read the full analysis below:
Russian officials and pro-war bloggers largely dismissed Trump’s threats, portraying them as far less serious than anticipated.
Konstantin Kosachev, a senior Russian lawmaker, wrote on Telegram that the US president’s ultimatum amounted to “hot air”, suggesting he could easily walk it back. “A lot can change in 50 days - on the battlefield and in the mindset of those in power, both in the US and in Nato,” he wrote.
Yuri Podolyaka, a popular pro-Kremlin military blogger, similarly wrote on Telegram that Trump “could change his ‘opinion’ several times in the next 50 days”.
Podolyaka and other commentators pointed to the main Moscow stock index, which gained more than 2.5% after Trump’s announcement.
The shift in tone stood in stark contrast to the earlier anxiety in Moscow, where state media had speculated that Trump might announce the delivery of long-range missiles capable of reaching the Russian capital.
Some voices in Moscow, however, lamented that Trump’s once-positive relationship with Putin may have fundamentally shifted. “A new reality on Ukraine began today with Trump’s statement,” said Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin commentator.
“As of today, he’s pressuring only Russia and supporting Ukraine,” he wrote on Telegram.
Politicians in Kyiv have welcomed Donald Trump’s announcement that billions of dollars worth of US military equipment will be sent to Ukraine, while officials in Moscow officials dismissed his threat of sanctions against Russia as hot air.
Andrii Kovalenko, a member of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, summed up the positive response from Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government. In a one-word reaction, he wrote: “Cool”.
Others acknowledged that Ukraine’s relations with Washington had signally improved since Zelenskyy’s disastrous meeting with Trump in the Oval Office in February.
But there was also scepticism that the new package - coupled with the threat of sanctions on the Russian economy in 50 days’ time - would be enough to persuade Moscow to stop fighting. One former Ukrainian military officer said it was unlikely to make a meaningful impression on the Kremlin, or act as a strong deterrent.
The independent MP Mariana Bezuhla- a prominent critic of Zelenskyy and his top military team - dismissed the announcement as an empty “game”. “Trump gave Putin another 50 days to seize Ukraine,” she posted on social media.
Referring to cities in the east of the country, where Russian troops are advancing, she said: “Well, then, let’s see, carte blanche, so to speak. To the Dnipro or Kramatorsk - everything is so appetising.”
Meanwhile, in the first public reaction from the Ukrainian side, the head of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, Andriy Yermak, opts for his favourite language used in tweets and posts a side eye emoji, which usually means something is afoot and means to show tension, or anticipation.
Like this:
👀
Updated
Deal with Nato 'fully approved, fully done,' Trump confirms
US president Trump is now appearing at the White House Faith Office Luncheon, and he confirms the deal with Nato is now “fully approved, fully done.”
He says:
“We had a great meeting with Nato, the secretary general, and we’re going to do something a little different for this country. We’re going to supply weapons to Nato at a large amount, they’re going to deliver the weapons and they’re going to pay for 100% of the weapons.
…
We’re going to be doing that with Nato, and it’s fully approved, fully done, we’ll send them a lot of weapons of all kinds and they’re going to deliver those weapons immediately to the … side of the war … and they’re going to pay.”
He repeats his warning that if there is no peace deal with Russia after 50 days, then “we have no choice but to do secondary tariffs; you call it secondary tariffs, which are pretty tough, which we don’t want to have to do.”
He also does again his gag about phone calls with Putin:
“Let’s see what happens. But we thought we had a deal numerous times. I’d get home, I’d say, first lady, I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re finished.
And then I’ll turn on the television, or she’ll say to me one time, wow, that’s strange, because they just bombed a nursing home.”
Inexplicably, he gets a loud laugh from the audience, followed by:
“I said, What?!”
For more domestic US coverage, follow our US live blog here:
Updated
A handy summary of the most important lines from Trump’s briefing is now pinned at the top of this blog.
Trump confirms deliveries for Ukraine, threatens Putin with tariffs – summary
Well, for once, that was a “major statement” from Trump, as advertised, as he spoke with the media alongside Nato secretary general Mark Rutte.
Trump said he was “very, very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened with secondary tariffs of up to 100% if there is no progress on peace deal within 50 days (17:17).
Trump said “it’s got to stop,” with criticising “all talk” from Putin as Russia continued its attacks on Ukrainian cities (17:28, 17:46)
Trump confirmed a deal with Nato allies, mostly from Europe, on new weapon deliveries that will help Ukraine (17:21), including the much-needed Patriot missiles (17:24), which will be sent “within days” (17:35) and paid by allies.
Trump said of Putin: ““I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy.”
Rutte said Ukraine will “get its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment” for air defence and on missiles to fight back against Russia, and urged Putin to take Trump’s warning seriously (17:27).
Separately, Trump suggested he was still open for trade talks with the EU, saying the bloc’s representatives were “coming over” soon (17:39).
Updated
Towards the end of the briefing, Trump talks about some domestic issues and repeatedly praises his administration.
At the very end, he adds a line of praise for Rutte calling him “a star” and that’s it, the briefing is concluded.
'Talk doesn't mean anything,' Trump criticises Putin about their calls
Trump gets asked how far he is prepared to go to settle this war.
He stresses that “there are no Americans that are dying in it.”
But he suggests the need to get involved as he says “having a strong Europe is a very good thing.”
Trump says he spoke with “Germany and with most of the larger countries.”
“They are really enthusiastic about this, they want [this war to end], and they’re willing to go very far,” he says.
Trump says he speaks with Putin “a lot,” but adds:
“I speak to him a lot about getting this thing done, and I always hang up and say, ‘Well, that was a nice phone call’, and then missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city.
… And after that happens three or four times, you say, the talk doesn’t mean anything.
My conversations with them are always very pleasant. … Very lovely conversation. And then the missiles go off that night. I go home, I tell the first lady, I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation. And she said, Oh really, another city was just hit.”
He says of Putin “I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy” as he says he “fooled” previous US presidents.
Trump says Russia is “potentially such a great country to be wasting so many people on this, and the money.”
He says he hopes Putin will go for a “fair deal,” claiming “he knows what a fair deal is.”
Rutte jumps in to pray Trump again and again.
Trump says always ready to talk trade, EU 'coming over'
Trump also gets asked about EU-US trade deal.
He says he is always ready to talk.
“We’re always open to talk. We are open to talk, including to Europe. In fact, they’re coming over. They’d like to talk.”
Trump says he wants to 'finish' war in Ukraine
Trump acknowledges that “Europe has a lot of spirit for this war,” something he says he didn’t appreciate at the beginning.
“They really think it’s a very, very important thing to do, or they wouldn’t be doing… Look, they’re agreeing to just, you know, they’re paying for everything,” he says.
“I do want to make one statement again. I said it before this is not Trump’s war. We’re here to try and get it finished and settled,” he says,
Patriot batteries to be sent within days, Trump says, as he hopes for 'impact' on Russia's stance in talks
Rutte pointedly criticises Russia for attacks that are not conducted because of military goals, but “just creating panic” by attacking Ukrainian towns, and Trump concurs.
He then repeatedly praises Nato after his recent experience of attending the alliance’s summit in The Hague, the Netherlands.
He explains:
“We had a couple of days of very intensive talks. And they’re great people. They’re leaders of countries.
Many of them great countries. Some of them smaller countries. But for the most part, that’s a very solid, strong countries and very successful. Some of them are among the most successful countries in the world.”
He says he hopes the decision will have an impact on Russia and Putin.
Rutte intervenes to stress that Ukraine wants a peace deal.
Trump says it continues to be a “very deadly war,” and that he thought “we had a deal on Ukraine about four times,” but ultimately that didn’t work out.
“But it just keeps going on and on and on, and every night a lot of people are dying,” he says.
He confirms the Patriot batteries will be sent “within days.”
'It's got to stop', Trump tells Putin, as he warns about biting tariffs
Trump also repeated his warning that US tariffs would be “biting” and hit the Russian economy.
He says:
“I hope we don’t get to the point where we do, but I’ve been hearing so much talk. It’s all talk.
It’s all talk, and then missiles go into Kyiv and kill 60 people. It’s got to stop. That’s got to stop.”
The deal is “broader than Patriots.”
Updated
Russia's Putin needs to take Trump's warning seriously, Rutte says
Rutte says:
So if I was Vladimir Putin today, and you’re speaking about what you were planning to do in 50 days, and this announcement, I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously than I was doing at the moment.
Ukraine will get 'massive numbers' of military equipment under deal with US, Rutte says
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte says a bit more on the deal.
This is really big. This is really big.
He says Trump called him on Thursday and said he wanted to give Ukraine what it needed to have, but asked Europeans to pay for it, “which is totally logical.”
This is, again, Europeans stepping up.
Rutte says he has been in touch with “many countries” intending to be part of the deal, and namechecks Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, and Canada.
“And this is only the first wave, there will be more,” he says.
He adds that Nato will work through its systems to “make sure that we know what Ukrainians need”
He says:
“It will mean that Ukraine can get his hands on really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defence, but also missiles, ammunition.”
Updated
Trump confirms deal for 'greatest military equipment' for Nato, Ukraine
On Ukraine and Nato, Trump confirms that he agreed to deal to send weapons to Ukraine as he boasts the US makes “the greatest military equipment in the world.”
The new equipment will be made for Nato and available to be sent onwards to Ukraine.
“We make the best equipment, the best missiles, the best of everything, the European nations know that, and we made a deal today.
European nations know that, and we’ve made a deal today, and I’m going to have Mark speak about it, but we’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them.
We the United States will not be having any payment made, we’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”
Trump says 'very unhappy' with Russia, threatens 100% tariffs over Ukraine
On Russia, Trump says “we are very, very unhappy with them.”
He then says:
“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days tariffs, about 100%, you call them secondary tariffs, you know what that means.”
He repeats he is “very disappointed” with Russia’s Vladimir Putin “because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago, but it doesn’t seem to get there.”
Trump meeting with Nato's Rutte - live stream
US president Donald Trump is meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte at the White House right now.
You can watch their meeting below, but I will bring you the key lines here.
Trump expected to announce plan to sell Patriot defence systems to Ukraine
Defence and security editor
Donald Trump has indicated that the US will announce a plan to sell Patriot air defence systems and other weapons to Ukraine later on Monday, amid growing White House exasperation with Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire.
The president told reporters on Sunday as he returned from the Club World Cup final that the US would “send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they’re going to pay us 100% for them”.
“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump added, describing the impending announcement as “business for us”.
Though Trump did not spell out exactly who would fund the purchases, it is expected to involve European countries. Last week the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said Berlin was “ready to acquire” additional Patriot systems.
A German government spokesperson said on Monday morning that European partners would contribute directly to the purchase of Patriot systems, and that more than three were involved. The country’s defence minister, Boris Pistorius, was in Washington to discuss further details, Berlin said.
Trump said last week he would make a “major statement” on Ukraine on Monday. He has become frustrated with his lack of progress in persuading Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire and an end to the war.
During the election campaign Trump said he could end the Ukraine war in 24 hours, and following his victory began a series of bilateral discussions with Putin in an effort to broker a ceasefire. But these failed to progress as Russia made maximalist territorial demands, while stepping up its bombing of Ukraine’s cities.
At least six civilians were reported by Ukrainian regional officials to have been killed and 30 injured by Russian bombing in the last 24 hours. The country’s air force said Russia had attacked with 136 drones and four S-300 or S-400 missiles.
As we are still waiting to hear from Donald Trump on his “major announcement” on Russia and Ukraine – timed around his meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte should be this afternoon – here is a good background read on what we are expecting, from our defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh.
Updated
EU draws up list of US goods worth €72bn it could target if talks fail, trade chief says
We are getting more from EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič who told a press conference earlier this afternoon that the European Commission put forward a new list of US goods worth €72bn that could be targeted by EU levies if tariff talks with Washington fail, AFP reported.
He said the proposal was shared with EU trade ministers meeting in Brussels.
He also said he plans to talk with his US counterparts later on Monday to discuss the state of play, Reuters added.
Updated
Here is some more detail around the EU’s reaction to Donald Trump’s threat to impose 30% tariffs on European goods, as reported by my colleague Jennifer Rankin in this story:
Arriving for talks with European ministers in Brussels, Maroš Šefčovič, the EU trade commissioner, said a tariff of 30% or more would have a huge impact, making it “almost impossible to continue” current transatlantic trade, which is worth €4.4bn (£3.8bn) a day.
Expressing disappointment, he said his negotiating team thought they had been close to a deal. “The feeling on our side was that we are very close to an agreement,” as he said the two sides had been negotiating an agreement in principle – the outlines of a deal – for four weeks prior to Trump’s blunt announcement at the weekend.
The US president said on Saturday that EU imports would face a tariff of 30% from 1 August, denting European optimism that talks to secure a still painful 10% duty were almost finalised.
In response to Trump’s latest deadline, the EU decided to postpone retaliatory countertariffs on €21bn of US goods that had been due to kick in at midnight on Monday until 1 August. Ministers will also discuss plans for a further round of countermeasures, targeting €72bn of US imports to the EU.
Updated
The Reuters news agency is reporting that the EU’s trade chief, Maroš Šefčovič, said it takes two hands to clap when it comes to the trade negotiations with the US.
He was quoted as having said:
The EU ... never walks away without genuine effort, especially considering the hard work invested how close we find ourselves to making a deal and the clear benefits of the negotiated solution. But as I said before, it takes two hands to clap.
His comments come after the US president, Donald Trump, said on Saturday that EU imports would face a tariff of 30% from 1 August.
EU officials are keeping negotiating lines open with Washington while also trying to appear willing to retaliate economically to any punitive tariffs imposed by the US.
Speaking at a European commission press conference this afternoon, Šefčovič, the EU’s lead negotiator with the US, said the EU has approached the talks in “good faith” and “constructively”.
“We remain convinced that our transatlantic relationship deserves a negotiated solution, one that leads to renewed stability and cooperation.”
“We must be prepared for all outcomes including, if necessary, well considered, proportionate measures to restore balance in our transatlantic relationship,” he added. You can watch the press conference live in the video below:
Updated
Weapons and 'ceasefire prospects' discussed during Zelenskyy-Kellogg meeting, Ukraine says
We have got some more detail from the meeting today between the US envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
See post at 12.28 for Zelenskyy’s readout published following the meeting.
In a statement, the Ukrainian president’s office said the two discussed Russia’s “massive attacks” on civilians and infrastructures, the bolstering of Ukraine’s air defences, “the overall frontline situation” and the “needs” of Ukrainian soldiers.
The statement added:
The President confirmed Ukraine’s readiness to purchase American weapons, particularly air defense systems.
The parties also discussed joint drone production, the possibility of direct purchases of Ukrainian UAVs by the United States, and the potential for arms procurement in cooperation with European partners.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Keith Kellogg also addressed the prospects for a ceasefire, the need to increase pressure on Russia, and joint steps toward achieving a just and lasting peace.
Special attention was paid to sanctions, including the bipartisan bill by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, which has already garnered support from over 80 senators.
Updated
In an earlier post, we mentioned that the Ukrainian first deputy minister Yulia Svyrydenko was nominated to replace Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s longest serving prime minister, in a major cabinet reshuffle.
Svyrydenko’s appointment will require approval by parliament, which has largely united around Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the full-scale invasion and is unlikely to vote against him. The parliament’s next session is to begin this week.
Svyrydenko, 39, who also currently serves as economy minister, is considered a close ally of Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff.
She gained prominence this year during fraught negotiations around a rare minerals deal with the US. The minister is therefore thought to have strong ties with top officials in the Trump administration, whom Kyiv relies for vital military and diplomatic support.
Speculation about a change at the helm of the Ukrainian government has been circulating for months so this news does not come as a complete shock.
Updated
We can bring you some comments from the daily briefing the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, had with journalists earlier.
In it, Peskov was asked to respond to Estonia’s reported first use of the Himars multiple launch rocket system last week, when simulated maritime targets in the Baltic Sea were struck.
He asserted that Russia, which shares a border with Estonia, will “firmly defend” its interests in the Baltic region, telling reporters during the briefing:
The Baltic region is tense due to the aggressive policies of European coastal states. Russia intends to firmly defend its legitimate interests in this region.
The fact that many countries are engaged in provocative actions there is an obvious reality.
Tallinn received six launchers in April 2025 as part of an agreement between Lockheed Martin, in cooperation with the US army and the Estonian government.
Himars is an advanced missile launcher mounted on a five-tonne truck which can rapidly fire multiple guided missiles. The US-made system has been used by Ukraine to target Russian forces during the war, and can reach distances of up to 300 kilometers.
Estonia, a tiny Baltic state once a part of the Soviet Union, is on high alert for any future Russian aggression and is looking at the situation in Ukraine with growing concern.
Other Baltic countries and Nato members – such as Lithuania – have also ordered Himars systems to bolster their defences.
Updated
Bastille Day in Paris - in pictures
Just as a brief break, let me bring you a few more pictures from Bastille Day celebrations in Paris.
Could the proposed change of the Ukrainian PM have something to do with much-talked-about plans to change the country’s ambassador to the US?
Prime minister Shmyhal was reported by Bloomberg (£) to be on the short list of candidates, alongside deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna, defence minister Rustem Umerov and energy minister Herman Halushchenko.
One to watch.
Zelenskyy asks deputy PM Svyrydenko to become new Ukrainian prime minister
Oh!
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just posted a social media update saying he asked the first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko to “lead the government” and become the new prime minister of the wartorn country.
If confirmed, Svyrydenko would take over from the current prime minister Denys Shmyhal, in post since 2020.
Zelenskyy said the move was a part of a “transformation of the executive branch” and that he hoped her appointment would “significantly renew its work.”
He said:
“A report was delivered on the implementation of agreements with European and American partners regarding support for Ukraine reached during the recent Ukraine Recovery Conference.
We must swiftly implement everything that can strengthen the resilience of our state and society.
We also discussed concrete measures to boost Ukraine’s economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians, and scale up our domestic weapons production.”
Updated
Spain arrests eight after anti-migrant unrest
Meanwhile in Spain, Spanish police have arrested eight people in connection with rare anti-migrant unrest that rocked the town of Torre Pacheco over the weekend, interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Monday, AFP reported.
Three nights of violence erupted on Friday after a 68-year-old man told local media three youths of North African origin had beaten him up in the street.
The southeastern town’s mayor Pedro Angel Roca told Cadena SER radio that social media had created a “breeding ground” for clashes that saw urban furniture broken and car windows smashed.
The authorities have arrested eight people, including two present during the attack on the elderly man whose role is being investigated, Marlaska said.
The other six detainees, five Spaniards and one North African, were held for assault, damage and altercations, the central government’s representative in the Murcia region, Mariola Guevara Cava, wrote on X.
Air defence, joint production, procurement, sanctions on table in US talks, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just posted a short readout from his meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg, saying the pair had a “productive” conversation about “the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer.”
“This includes strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe.
And of course, sanctions against Russia and those who help it.”
He added:
“We hope for US leadership, as it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its unreasonable ambitions are curbed through strength.”
He ended traditionally thanking Kellogg, Trump and the American people for their support.
Updated
Ukraine secret service says it killed Russian agents suspected of Kyiv assassination
Ukrainian intelligence agents killed members of a Russian secret service cell wanted on suspicion of having shot dead a colonel last week, the SBU said.
The SBU intelligence agency said in a statement that the operation had sought the arrest of the agents of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), who it believes were behind the killing of Col Ivan Voronych – also a member of the SBU security service – in Kyiv on Thursday.
“This morning a special operation was conducted, during which the members of the Russian FSB’s agent cell started to resist, and therefore they were liquidated,” a statement on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday said.
Russian authorities made no immediate public comment on Sunday’s operation, which mirrored past assassinations of senior Russian military officials by Ukraine during the three-year-old war – a source of embarrassment for Moscow’s vast intelligence agencies.
The SBU said two people – a man and a woman – were suspected of having killed Voronych in a bold daylight attack that was caught on surveillance cameras. It did not say how many suspected FSB agents had been killed on Sunday, but the SBU posted a video in which two bodies were visible.
Media reports claimed that Voronych was involved in covert operations in Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine and reportedly helped organise Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last year.
According to the SBU, the alleged assassins were told by their handler to surveil their target and track his movements. They were eventually given the coordinates of a hiding place where they found a pistol with a suppressor, the SBU said.
On Ukraine, we also heard from Russia this morning, with the Kremlin saying that US arms and ammunition deliveries to Kyiv have continued and are still continuing, Reuters reported.
“Now it seems that these supplies will be paid for by Europe, some will be paid for, some will not,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Trump’s comments over the weekend.
Peskov also sought to defect responsibility for stalling the US-backed ceasefire talks, claiming that Russia was ready for them and awaiting clarity on the timing.
On the EU-US trade, the European Commission has just told journalists to wait with their questions until this afternoon’s press conference after today’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting on trade.
The press conference will be attended by EU trade minister Maroš Šefčovič.
So we’re unlikely to get a substantive update before then.
Germany confirms plans to get 'more than three' Patriot systems for Ukraine
In the meantime, we are getting some lines from Germany on Ukraine, where the government spokesperson has just confirmed that European partners will contribute to the purchase of the Patriot systems for Ukraine, while Nato will not be directly involved.
Last week, we heard reports that Germany would pay for two systems, and Norway – for another one.
But the spokesperson now confirmed that “from the EU perspective, the talks are about more than three Patriot systems for Ukraine,” Reuters reported.
“Discussions are now being held on the modalities of implementation, i.e. how many systems there will be, who will take them over and how they will be financed,” the spokesperson said, referring to a visit by defence minister Boris Pistorius to Washington.
The spokesperson also added that Germany was seeing “larger Russian troops concentration,” adding that “we must strenghten Ukraine’s defences” in response.
France marks Bastille Day with plans to boost defence spending
Meanwhile in Paris, France’s annual Bastille Day military parade is under way in all its pomp and colour, this year featuring more than 240 vehicles, 100 planes and helicopters and 5,600 troops marching down the cobblestones of the Champs-Elysées.
Besides providing the excuse for a nationwide party to mark the 1789 storming of the Bastille fortress and prison, the parade is also a display of French military force – which, in an increasingly uncertain world, Emmanuel Macron aims to increase.
In his traditional address to the military on Sunday, the French president announced €6.5bn in extra military spending over the next two years, saying freedom in Europe was facing a greater threat than at any time since the end of the second world war.
“We are living a pivotal moment,” he said, denouncing – in reference to Russia – “imperialist policies”, “annexing powers” and the idea that might is right.
Never has peace on our continent depended so much on the decisions that we take now.
France faced the challenge “of remaining free and masters of our destiny”, he added, saying France’s defence budget would rise by €3.5bn in 2026, and then by a further three billion euros in 2027.
“If you want to be feared, you must be powerful,” he said.
France had aimed to double its defence budget from 2017 levels by 2030. However, Macron pledged to reach the target three years earlier. A military budget that stood at €32bn in 2017 will rise to €64bn billion euros by 2027 and a projected €67bn in 2030.
Several Nato countries are boosting military spending after the alliance’s members agreed last month to spend 5% of their GDP on security. The UK aims to boost its defence budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and 3% after 2029, Germany plans to reach 3.5% by 2029 and Poland already dedicates 4.7% of GDP to defence.
The major defence spending boost could, however, threaten efforts by France – which is under heavy pressure from the European Commission and financial markets to impose more fiscal discipline – to cut its deficit and reduce its debt mountain.
The servicing of France’s debt alone will cost the Treasury €62bn, and Macron ruled out further borrowing to fund the defence budget increase, saying it must be paid for by increased economic activity.
The prime minister, François Bayrou, who on Tuesday is to outline his budget plan cutting €40bn from the 2026 budget, has declared the defence budget to be “sacrosanct” and exempt from cuts.
European markets fall after Trump tariff threat
Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 30% on European Union imports from next month is weighing on European stock markets this morning.
Most of Europe’s markets have dropped at the start of trading, pulling the pan-European Stoxx 600 index down by 0.6%.
Germany’s DAX has dropped by 0.95%, while France’s CAC 40 has lost 0.8%, Italy’s FTSE MIB index is almost 0.9% lower, and Spain’s IBEX is off 0.7%.
Investors will be assessing the chances of the two sides reaching a deal by 1 August.
Follow business live:
EU reacts to Trump threat - snap analysis
A show of unity is expected publicly with German chancellor Friedrich Merz saying he will work “intensively” with Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen and Trump to try and rescue the agreement in principle that was put on Trump’s desk last week involving tariffs of 10%.
Over the past three months Germany has urged a quick UK style deal while Macron has favoured a tougher stance to face down Trump, given average tariffs before his presidency were 2.5% and they breach WTO rules.
The EU’s continued and future reliance on the US for security and defence is influencing the position with member states accepting a trade off between business and arms and military intelligence Trump provides.
On Sunday, Merz told the ARD broadcaster that a 30% tariff would “hit our exporters to the core” while the German car industry called for a quick deal.
He said he agreed with Macron, who said on Saturday the EU had to “step up the preparation of credible countermeasures” in the event of no deal before 1 August.
In his statement Saturday, Macron also urged the European Commission – which negotiates on behalf of all EU countries – to “resolutely defend European interests”.
Italy, one of the three countries along with Germany and Ireland, that sell more to the US than import said a trade war would be a disaster.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement Sunday: “A trade war within the West would weaken us all in the face of the global challenges we are confronting together.
The EU sees the threat of €21bn package of countermeasures imposed on 1 August as leverage.
“Europe has the economic and financial strength to assert its position and reach a fair and sensible agreement,” she said, a line underlined by Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani today.
“Tariffs hurt every one, starting with the United States,” he said.
If stock markets fall that puts at risk the pensions and the savings of the Americans.
Trump's Ukraine envoy arrives in Kyiv
In the last hour, Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv for talks on security and sanctions against Russia.
The head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, already signalled that something was afoot over the weekend, posting on Sunday a side-eye emoji picture suggesting an announcement was coming.
After Trump confirmed his intentions to send more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, Yermak added more detail disclosing Kellogg will take part in discussions on “defence, strengthening security, weapons, sanctions, protecting our people.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately said that Kellogg will be given a military briefing and meet with the heads of the Security Service of Ukraine and intelligence services.
Trump promises 'major statement' on Russia today
Speaking overnight, the US president, Donald Trump, said he would be making “a major statement” on Russia on Monday.
We do not know all the details of what he will announce in terms of support for Ukraine, but he confirmed that the US “will send them Patriots, which they desperately need.”
“We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they’re going to pay us 100 percent for them,” he said, adding it was good “business for us.”
The announcement comes just over a week after a brief pause in the US military aid deliveries for Ukraine, and days after Trump lost patience with Russian president Vladimir Putin accusing him of talking “bullshit.”
Separately, US lawmakers are working on a bipartisan bill that would impose tough sanctions on Russia.
Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, is in Washington on Monday so expect him to be involved in all talks on both issues.
Morning opening: EU scrambles to respond to Trump's 'prohibitive' tariffs threat
EU ministers are meeting this morning for urgent talks after the US president, Donald Trump, threatened to impose 30% tariffs on the bloc – despite what they believed were promising talks with the US administration on how to avoid them.
But in a letter issued over the weekend, Trump said:
“We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers …
Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”
Over the weekend, EU leaders, including the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, led political reactions to the announcement.
As my colleague Lisa O’Carroll reported over the weekend, Macron said the EU should be ready for a trade war and to stand up to the US president, who was only last week expected to approve a 10% tariff agreement in principle with the bloc.
But the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who enjoys good relations with Trump, said in a statement she trusted “a fair agreement” could be reached. “It would make no sense to trigger a trade war between the two sides of the Atlantic,” she said.
The EU trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, was far more blunt this morning.
Arriving for talks with EU foreign and trade ministers, he said:
Let’s be honest, the idea of 30% tariff rate is effectively prohibitive to the mutual trade.
He added that such tariffs would make it “almost impossible to continue the trading as we are used to,” with supply chains on both sides of the Atlantic “heavily affected” by the change.
Šefčovič said the bloc noted Trump’s letter with “regret and disappointment,” but promised to engage further with his US counterparts on Monday to try to find a way out of this crisis, saying he “cannot imagine walking away without genuing effort.”
“I will be discussing with ministers the next steps for the upcoming weeks.
I see these focused on four areas: negotiations, rebalancing measures, engagement with like minded partners, and diversification of our trade.”
Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen warned:
Our trade relations with the US are on a critical juncture.
Let’s see what the day brings here.
We are also expecting significant updates on Ukraine, with Trump promising a “major statement” on Russia when Nato secretary general Mark Rutte visits Washington today, which is expected to include an announcement on much-awaited new Patriots missiles for Kyiv.
Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg is in Ukraine, and German defence minister Boris Pistorius is also in Washington.
It’s Monday, 14 July 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
