The White House plan to arm Ukraine

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump formally announced that he had agreed to a novel deal to sell Patriot missile defense systems and ammunition to NATO, which will send them on to Ukraine. Trump confirmed the arrangement during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House.

In addition to Trump, Rutte will meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and members of Congress while in Washington.

Ukraine has recently withstood some of the heaviest Russian bombardments of the three-year war. On July 1, the U.S. Defense Department shocked Kyiv and other allies when it announced that it would halt shipments of Patriot missiles and other vital supplies to Ukraine because their outflow would compromise U.S. military readiness.

Trump’s U-turn has implications that reach far beyond Ukraine, Christian Caryl writes. In one of FP’s most-read stories from last week, “It’s Official: America Can’t Be Trusted,” Caryl argues that “it is hard to think of a previous administration that has treated its presumed friends with such carelessness and contempt as this one.”

Some commentators might call Trump’s foreign policy self-interested, or even Jacksonian, as FP’s Emma Ashford suggests—but whatever you call it, U.S. allies have reason to be nervous. Sources have attributed the initial decision to freeze supplies to Ukraine to Elbridge Colby, the U.S. defense undersecretary for policy. In an ominous sign, Colby also launched a “review” of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. submarine pact in June.

Reporting last week suggested that Colby has been pressuring Australian officials, as well as the Japanese, to commit to supporting the United States in a future battle over Taiwan. Currently on a visit to China, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demurred on questions of whether Australia would fight in a future conflict between the United States and China.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is clearly hoping that good old-fashioned flattery does the trick with Trump. In February, he issued a formal invitation to Trump for a second state visit to London, which was confirmed for September over the weekend. The United Kingdom enjoys protection from certain tariffs “because I like them,” Trump said in June. Starmer will be hoping that a Windsor Castle mini-break keeps things that way.—Amelia Lester, deputy editor

On Our Radar

Not so copper-bottomed. Trump said last week that his administration had concluded that copper imports pose a national security threat and will be addressed by steep tariffs on industrial metal starting on Aug. 1. All that is guaranteed in the short run are higher prices, FP’s Keith Johnson reports; one economist describes the trade barrier as “economic vandalism.”

German coalition fractures. As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz prepares to visit the United Kingdom on Thursday, his coalition government has clashed yet again, this time over the appointment of a judge with progressive views on abortion. Meanwhile, coalition partner the Social Democratic Party is sliding back into Cold War pro-Russia reflexes and threatening the stability of the government itself.

Superman doctrine. The latest installment of Superman is a surprise hit, but what does the reboot say about U.S. foreign policy? This Superman is a man of interventionist action, Jordan Hoffman writes: “While the government may be content to sit and watch, he flies in and destroys Boravia’s tanks—injuring no one and saving lives. … There is an eerie, timely factor to all of this.”

FP Live

The View from Indonesia

July 15 | 11 a.m. EDT

In discussions of U.S. foreign policy, Indonesia rarely gets the attention that it should. The world’s fourth-most populous country is also the largest Muslim nation in the world. Jakarta has long sought to balance relations with the United States and China, its two biggest trading partners. How does Indonesia view Trump’s presidency and a shifting world order? Join FP Live for a wide-ranging discussion with Dino Patti Djalal, a former vice minister for foreign affairs. Register now, and submit your questions ahead of the conversation.

Decoding the Trump-Bibi Meeting

On Demand

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House last week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and take stock of the countries’ attacks on Iran and its nuclear program. The trip also comes amid Trump’s announcement that Netanyahu has agreed on the conditions to finalize a 60-day cease-fire in Gaza. New York Times columnist and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman joined FP Live to discuss how recent events have impacted Israel’s place in the Middle East and the trajectory of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Watch on demand or read the condensed transcript.

Is the Dollar in Danger?

On Demand

The dollar declined after the news that Trump wanted to impose massive tariffs on countries around the world, suggesting that global investors were losing faith in the dollar—and in the U.S. economy itself. Economist Kenneth Rogoff joined FP Live to discuss what Trump’s policies mean for growth, the global economy, and whether there are viable alternatives to the dollar. Watch on demand.

Exercise Your Mind

Protests in Nairobi last Monday marked the anniversary of the Saba Saba march that helped bring an end to single-party rule in Kenya. How many years ago was the original march?

(A) 10 years

(B) 25 years

(C) 35 years

(D) 50 years

You can find the answer to this question at the end of this email. Test your knowledge with more quiz questions.

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Answer: C. The demonstrations are the latest in a wave of youth-led protests against the Kenyan government that began last year, FP’s Nosmot Gbadamosi writes in Africa Brief.