**Trump’s Ukraine Weapons Deal Stuns European Allies**
A sudden announcement by United States President Donald Trump of a weapons deal for Ukraine has left many European countries in the dark. Diplomats from across Europe say they were neither briefed nor consulted before the plan was revealed, leading to confusion and frustration among key NATO partners.
The proposed deal involves NATO countries donating Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, while the US would sell newer replacements to those contributors. Trump claimed that some of these systems could be delivered to Ukraine within days. However, several European and U.S. officials have told Reuters that the plan was hastily devised and announced publicly without prior notification to the countries expected to be involved.
Senior sources at two of the embassies in Washington said they only learned of the plan as it was being announced, even though some US allies were supposed to participate. “It is my clear sense that nobody has been briefed about the exact details in advance,” said one European ambassador. “I also suspect that internally in the administration they are only now beginning to sort out what it means in practice.”
**Participation Unclear**
Despite initial enthusiasm from some officials, the specifics of participation remain unclear. When asked during a US Department of State press briefing which countries had formally committed to participate, spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to offer any details.
One official who spoke to Reuters cited Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and Spain as potential candidates to donate Patriots to Ukraine, either because they already have multiple systems or because their perceived threat levels are relatively low. However, both France and Italy have reportedly opted out of the initiative, citing a need to prioritize domestic defense spending.
**Frustration Mounts**
The lack of prior consultation has left European officials scrambling to interpret what, if anything, will happen next. “As always with these things, the devil is in the details,” said one northern European ambassador in Washington, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s proposed plan.
So far, no formal commitments have been confirmed, and key questions remain unanswered – including which countries will contribute Patriots, when they will arrive, and how the effort will be coordinated. While Trump has portrayed the initiative as a breakthrough, many European officials say the lack of prior consultation has left allies frustrated and uncertain about what lies ahead.
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