NATO Considers New Mechanism for Military Aid to Ukraine; Putin Says Russia Awaits Dialogue with Ukraine

On August 1, informed sources revealed that the United States and NATO are studying the establishment of a new mechanism to provide military support to Ukraine by using funds from NATO member states to pay for the procurement or transfer of U.S. weapons.

Currently, the U.S. continues to pressure Russia on the issue of a Russia-Ukraine peace agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the 1st that he looks forward to continuing dialogue with Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed with the U.S. stance that direct military confrontation between the U.S. and Russia must never be allowed.

Reuters reported on the 1st, citing three informed sources, that the U.S. and NATO members are working with Ukraine to develop a new mechanism to provide U.S.-made weapons to Ukraine based on a "priority needs list." Ukraine can determine the priority of required weapons in batches of approximately $500 million each, after which NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will coordinate consultations among member states to decide which countries will donate or fund the purchase of the listed weapons.

According to an unnamed U.S. official, the new mechanism allows NATO members willing to donate weapons to Ukraine to bypass the lengthy U.S. arms sales process and accelerate procurement. The funds will be transferred to an account controlled by the U.S., possibly a U.S. Treasury account or a specific escrow fund, though the exact operational details remain unclear.

Since taking office in January, the Trump administration’s policy on military aid to Ukraine has been inconsistent. In early July, the U.S. temporarily suspended some military aid to Ukraine. Days later, Trump reversed course, stating that more weapons would be provided, and on July 8, he approved the delivery of additional defensive weapons to Ukraine. On July 23, the U.S. State Department approved a $322 million arms sale to provide Ukraine with Hawk air defense missile systems and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

Currently, the U.S. continues to pressure Russia to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine. On July 29, Trump set a 10-day deadline for Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace agreement, starting from that day. If Russia fails to make progress, it will face new U.S. sanctions.

Earlier, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, stated on social media that every ultimatum from Trump to Russia is a threat, adding that the timing of Russia’s return to negotiations should not be decided by Trump. On August 1, Trump posted on social media that, in light of Medvedev’s "highly provocative" remarks, he had "ordered two nuclear submarines to be deployed to appropriate areas."

According to the Russian presidential website, Putin met with visiting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the 1st and later told reporters that Russia looks forward to continuing dialogue with Ukraine. If Ukraine currently sees no need for contact with Russia, Russia is willing to wait patiently. The same day, Foreign Minister Lavrov responded to reporters by referencing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent statement that direct military confrontation between the U.S. and Russia must never be allowed, saying, "We fully agree with this."