Trump's threat against Russia runs parallel to a Senate-led effort to pass crippling sanctions on countries that buy Russian energy.

Trump also revealed that Putin had recently offered to assist in mediating between Israel and Iran during their brief June conflict — an offer he declined. “I said, ‘No, no, you help me get a settlement with you, with Russia,’” Trump recounted. “And I think we're going to be doing that too.”

The weapons for Ukraine would henceforth be bought by European allies rather than donated from American stocks or bought from manufacturers with American money, as in the past. Billions of dollars’-worth of funds authorised by Congress under his predecessor,

The contradictory stories come as Trump, finally, announces new sanctions to counter Russia and more military aid to Ukraine.

President Trump discussed how he came to give up on negotiating with Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House on Monday, as the U.S. agrees to sell new and more weapons to Europe and Ukraine.

During a meeting at the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President Donald Trump spoke about President Vladimir Putin, saying, "He's fooled a lot of people...he didn't fool me."