After European leaders stepped up military spending, President Trump aligned himself more closely with them on the war. But his tariffs threats have left bruises.

The change in Trump’s approach may also mean that the $US8 billion (£6 billion) of frozen Russian assets in the US (and US$223 billion in Europe) could be released to aid Ukraine, which would provide a ready means to pay for the US arms transfers.

Trump’s U-Turn seems partly the result of European leaders, Rutte especially, who worked hard to develop common ground with the U.S. President. It also seems to be the result of growing irritation with Putin. Trump said Monday that Putin talks “so beautifully” when it comes to a ceasefire but “then he’ll bomb people at night. We don’t like that.”