Translated with AI
US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine must be able to defend itself against massive Russian strikes. As DW reports, citing American and European media, the talk about expanding military aid to Kyiv was made on July 7 at an official dinner in the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We have to do this. They have to be able to defend themselves. They are being hit very hard right now," the head of the White House said, emphasizing that the United States will provide Ukraine with additional weapons, primarily defensive ones.
Reaction to conversation with Putin and Russia's attacks
According to Trump, he was extremely dissatisfied with the results of a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 3. "He wants to go all the way, just continuing to kill people is bad," the US president said.
Already on the night of July 4, Russian armed forces launched one of the most massive strikes on Ukrainian territory since the start of the full-scale invasion, launching more than 550 missiles and drones. These actions were, according to experts, a possible response to diplomatic statements and consultations in Western capitals.
Possible unfreezing of US military aid
According to Politico, the US administration may unfreeze some of the previously suspended military aid to Ukraine after two key meetings between Trump's special representative Keith Kellogg and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
The first meeting will take place on July 10-11 at the International Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine in Rome. The second is scheduled for a few days later, directly in Kyiv. According to Politico sources, it is precisely as a result of these negotiations that previously frozen supplies may be revised.
What was suspended
Earlier, on July 2, American media reported a partial halt to deliveries of important defensive weapons to Ukraine. The freeze included, in particular:
interceptor missiles for Patriot systems;
Stinger man-portable air defense missile systems;
missiles for NASAMS air defense systems;
missiles for F-16 fighters.
According to experts, such a delay in the context of intense Russian shelling could significantly weaken Ukraine's ability to defend its territory from air attacks.
The Pentagon and White House position
Commenting on the suspension, Trump said on July 3 that the United States was continuing to help Ukraine, and explained the supply restrictions by the need for inspections: "We need to make sure that we have enough weapons ourselves." At the same time, the president accused his predecessor Joe Biden of "devastating the country."
However, as NBC News reports, citing its own sources, an internal Pentagon audit did not reveal a weapons shortage. According to the TV channel, the initiators of the suspension were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his deputy Elbridge Colby, a well-known advocate of reorienting American resources to contain China in the Asia-Pacific region.
Telephone conversations with Merz and Zelensky
On July 4, Trump also held telephone conversations with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Berlin, Merz called on the United States to continue military aid to Kyiv and discussed the possibility of Germany supplying additional Patriot systems.
President Zelensky, in turn, called the conversation with Trump "important and fruitful." According to him, the parties discussed measures to strengthen Ukraine's air defense, prospects for joint defense production, and potential investments.
