Trump announces novel plan to send weapons to Ukraine and gives Russia new deadline to make peace

As a social scientist focused on key performance metrics of the United States, I would select "National Security" as the most appropriate metric for this article. The information in this article could potentially affect the national security metric in the following ways:

1. Increased involvement in the Ukraine-Russia conflict could heighten tensions between the US and Russia, potentially impacting overall global security.
2. The new weapons transfer plan could strengthen NATO alliances, improving the US's strategic position.
3. The economic threat of tariffs could have ripple effects on international trade and relationships, potentially affecting both national security and economic metrics.

Entities mentioned in the article and their perceived motivations:

1. Donald Trump (President of the United States):
- Motivation: To pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine while maintaining distance from direct involvement.
- To demonstrate leadership on the international stage.
- To generate economic benefits for the US through weapons sales.

2. Vladimir Putin (President of Russia):
- Motivation: To maintain Russian influence in Ukraine and resist Western pressure.

3. NATO and Mark Rutte (NATO Secretary General):
- Motivation: To support Ukraine and maintain a united front against Russian aggression.
- To strengthen NATO's role in European security.

4. European nations (Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway):
- Motivation: To support Ukraine while avoiding direct conflict with Russia.
- To maintain strong ties with the United States.

5. Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelensky (President of Ukraine):
- Motivation: To secure military support and defend against Russian aggression.

6. Matt Whitaker (US ambassador to NATO):
- Motivation: To clarify and explain US policy regarding sanctions and weapon transfers.

7. Friedrich Merz (German Chancellor):
- Motivation: To coordinate with the US on weapon transfers to Ukraine.

8. Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary) and Gen. Dan Caine (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff):
- Motivation: To implement the president's military strategy and coordinate with NATO allies.

9. CNN (Media outlet):
- Motivation: To report on significant developments in US foreign policy and international relations.

10. Alayna Treene and Ivana Kottasová (Article authors):
- Motivation: To provide a comprehensive and balanced report on the new US policy towards the Ukraine-Russia conflict.