US Ambassador to NATO: U.S. taxpayers no longer bear the burden of war in Ukraine

The sale of weapons to NATO members for further transfer to Ukraine removes the "burden" of Kyiv's defense from American taxpayers. This was reported on the air of Newsmax by US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker.

He recalled that last month he was in the Oval Office when US President Donald Trump announced a mechanism whereby NATO allies would buy US weapons and ammunition and then provide them to Ukraine.

"Obviously, this takes the American taxpayers out of the equation. American taxpayers are no longer bearing the burden of the war in Ukraine," Whitaker said .

He noted that the US president has declared his readiness to sell weapons and ammunition to European allies for Ukraine. Whitaker emphasized that time is of the essence.

"We are moving quickly and vigorously on this issue to make sure that Ukrainians are not disadvantaged on the front lines," said the ambassador.

According to him, Trump is trying to create conditions through many mechanisms to "bring the Russians to the table, achieve a lasting ceasefire, and stop the killing".

Asked whether NATO's arms supplies to Ukraine weaken the defense bloc, Whitaker replied: "No, they do not".

"In fact, our military and the Pentagon make sure that we are never at a strategic disadvantage. And you are right – NATO does not have a weapons depot. It is an alliance of 32 countries, each of which has equipment and weapons," he added.

Ambassador emphasizes that Washington sells weapons made by Americans at their workplaces.

"We sell this equipment to our NATO allies, and they then supply it to Ukraine. The Alliance will be strong. We see how Europe is building up its strength. This is an example of what we achieved in The Hague, when Europe took over the main traditional defense of the European continent, and this is just one example," the official summarized.

• On July 14, 2025, Trump said that NATO and the United States had signed an agreement to supply weapons to Ukraine at the expense of Europe. He did not disclose the details of the plan.
• On July 19, it was reported that the Trump administration would redistribute arms supplies, including air defense systems, to allies so that those states that give their stockpiles to Ukraine receive them first.
• On August 4, Shmyhal announced the launch of a mechanism to support Ukraine through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.