The US Ambassador to the North Atlantic Alliance urged Russia to end the war in Ukraine, claiming that President Donald Trump has “more cards to play.” Amb Matthew Whitaker said Trump could impose new sanctions on Russia, and $2 billion in US weapons would arrive in Ukraine in the coming months.
“Right now, we have set up a system where the commitments kind of are rolling forward. You know, we have probably another $2 billion or more to bring in the next several months,” Whitaker told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. “And we fully expect that that will be done here very soon. We have a foreign ministers meeting at the beginning of December, which will most likely kind of top that off.”
He continued, “And then, as we get into 2026 the key is sustainment. The key is the $12 or $15 billion that are that are needed to buy the critical armaments needed by Ukraine to defend themselves and to continue this fight at the front line is going to be raised. It’s going to be US weapons.”
The $12 to $15 billion that Whitaker said the West could provide to Ukraine next year is a small fraction of what Kiev says it will need to wage the war. “The cost of this war as of now is a challenge for us. The price of one year is $120 billion. Sixty billion comes from the Ukrainian budget. And I need to find 60 [billion] for next year,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky explained in September.
The US Ambassador to NATO also touted the recent sanctions Trump slapped on Russia’s two largest oil companies. He suggested the President could add more sanctions or increase military support for Ukraine in the future. “President Trump holds all the cards; this is just one card that he’s playing. There are many more,” Whitaker said.
In a separate interview with Fox News, the American ambassador claimed Russia is weak and should end the war as soon as possible. “The Russians should end this senseless war as soon as they possibly can – it’s not going to get better for them. Trump’s going to continue to play these cards, like these significant oil sanctions.” He added, “The Russians complained when they were called a paper tiger by Trump. At every single turn, the Russians are not showing from a position of strength – they actually look very weak right now.”
U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: “RUSSIA LOOKS VERY WEAK RIGHT NOW”
U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker:
“The Russians should end this senseless war as soon as they possibly can – it’s not going to get better for them.
Trump’s going to continue to play these cards, like these… https://t.co/z71f5rJZB2 pic.twitter.com/4iewMB3Ist
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 28, 2025
