(NewsNation) — NATO defense ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday and agreed to increase weapon deliveries to Ukraine as Russia ramps up drone strikes on Ukraine’s rail network and power grid.
Over half of NATO allies are now part of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, a program to buy U.S. weapons for the Eastern European nation.
“We know what Ukraine needs to stay strong in the fight, and some of that stuff only the U.S. can provide,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters.
Hegseth vows continued support for Ukraine
In Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized the need for NATO allies to support Ukraine’s military efforts and warned that if there isn’t a short-term path to peace, then the U.S. “will take steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression.”
“This is not a war that started on President Trump’s watch, but it will end on his watch,” Hegseth stated.
The push for increased military aid to Ukraine follows a report from Germany’s Kiel Institute indicating that Western military aid to Ukraine fell 43% in July and August compared to the first half of the year.
Trump could sell Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine
On the heels of the negotiation of a ceasefire that freed the hostages in Gaza and aimed to put an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet in the U.S. this Friday to discuss increased military support for Ukraine.
Trump has toyed with the idea of selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in an effort to deter Russia from further violence, something officials fear could pull the U.S. closer to direct conflict with Russia.
“He would like to have Tomahawks,” Trump said of Zelenskyy at the White House on Tuesday. “We have a lot of Tomahawks.”
The Tomahawks would provide Ukraine with stealthier, longer-range capabilities. The missiles can reach over 1,000 miles away, placing Russian cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg, as well as drone factories and bases, well within striking range.
The Kremlin has warned that sending Tomahawks to Ukraine would escalate tensions between Russia and the U.S.
Putin ‘could end’ the war: Trump
Trump told reporters Tuesday that he’s recently been disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin, but he just doesn’t want to end that war. And I think it’s making him look very bad. He could end it,” he said.