Meetings between top U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Italy and Ukraine could lead to the restart of American military aid that was recently put on hold. These important talks are scheduled to take place over the coming week.
Keith Kellogg, President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy, will meet with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Rome at an international aid conference. Trump’s approach to foreign policy appointments has drawn attention to how his administration manages international relationships. They will then have another meeting in Kyiv, with military aid being a key topic of discussion.
According to Politico, the U.S. has told Kyiv that deliveries of engineering equipment and some armored vehicles will start again soon, according to people familiar with the ongoing discussions. However, no specific timeline has been given yet.
Russia increases attacks as Ukraine awaits defensive weapons
The talks come at a crucial time as Russia has recently launched some of its largest drone and missile strikes of the war. These attacks have severely hit civilian targets across Ukraine, making air defense and precision munitions critical for Ukraine’s defense efforts.
The Pentagon’s sudden stop of missile defense and precision-guided munitions shipments to Ukraine last week surprised many, including Ukraine, U.S. lawmakers, and Trump allies. Trump’s military leadership decisions have raised questions about defense policy coordination. This pause also made U.S. allies in Europe wonder if America was pulling back from supporting Ukraine militarily.
Trump said Monday the U.S. would resume providing arms to Ukraine. He told Zelensky that he wasn’t responsible for the halt in weapons shipments to Kyiv (verified source).
— The Defence Technocrat (@DefenceTech_) July 8, 2025
But who was responsible?#UkraineWar #Russia #Trump #war pic.twitter.com/NELTB07601
The halted shipments included important weapons such as 8,400 artillery rounds, 142 Hellfire missiles, and 252 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System missiles. Most importantly, the pause affected 30 Patriot missiles, which Ukraine uses to shoot down Russian missiles and drones targeting civilian areas.
Recent Russian attacks have killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others, including children, according to Ukrainian officials. President Zelenskyy reported that in the past week alone, Russia launched about 1,270 drones, 39 missiles, and 1,000 glide bombs at various parts of Ukraine.
The White House has described this pause as temporary. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that it was meant to review and ensure that all Pentagon shipments serve the best interests of the U.S. military and service members. President Trump has also confirmed that more weapons will be sent to Ukraine, saying they need defensive weapons as they are “getting hit very hard.”
This change of heart comes after months of fruitless and pointless chitchat that Trump has engaged in with Russian president Vladimir Putin, publicly insulting the Ukrainian president, and not getting anywhere closer to his promise of ending Russia’s Ukraine invasion within hours of becoming the president.
