US military aid to Ukraine may resume after series of summit meetings

Politico reports, citing sources close to the process, that the key events will be an international conference in Rome and the upcoming talks in Kiev.

It is about restoring supplies of air defence systems, precision munitions, engineering equipment and armoured vehicles.

According to Politico, the reason for a possible revision of the Pentagon's decisions was the talks that Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will hold this week and next week. He will meet with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerovym in Rome as part of an international aid conference and then visit Kiev. The authors believe that aid to Kiev will be a key issue on the agenda.

The Ukrainian government, in the face of large-scale missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, is pushing for urgent deliveries of air defence systems and precision weapons. In the last week alone, Russia has fired at least 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and 1,000 planning bombs at Ukraine. At least 11 civilians have died and more than 80 have been injured, including children.

Amid these events, Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that the US will send additional weapons to Ukraine.

"We're going to send more weapons. We need to. They need to defend themselves. They're being hit very hard right now. A lot of people are dying," he told reporters.

Despite this statement, the Pentagon has yet to comment on the situation. At the same time, according to sources, Ukraine has already received a signal to resume deliveries of engineering equipment and some armoured vehicles, but no specific terms have been named yet.

According to Kellogg's spokesman, the meeting with Umerov in Kiev was not initially planned as a discussion of military aid, "it was scheduled even before the suspension of supplies became known."

The Pentagon's abrupt decision to suspend the transfer of air defence missile systems and precision munitions came as a surprise not only to Ukrainian partners, but also to US lawmakers and Trump's allies. It raised concerns among European partners about a possible decrease in Washington's support for Ukraine.

Particularly critical is the suspension of deliveries of 30 Patriot missiles designed to defend against air attacks. These missiles play a key role in the defence of Ukrainian cities against drones and cruise missiles.

Rob Lee of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, an expert on the Russia-Ukraine war, said:

"Air defence munitions - especially Patriot - are vital now as Russia is ramping up production of UAVs and it is becoming increasingly difficult to intercept them."

He also stressed that Russia is actively attacking Ukraine's defence industry.

"Air defence supplies help not only to protect the population, but also to ensure the functioning of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex so that the country can produce ammunition on its own," he added.

Interestingly, just a day before his conversation with Zelensky, Trump had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin. He admitted that the conversation was "unfortunate" and noted:

"He seems to just want to keep killing people. That's not a good thing. I'm not happy with that."

In return, Trump called the call with the Ukrainian leader "the most productive call he's had in a while." According to Zelensky, it was "probably the best conversation of the entire period."

When reporters asked Trump if the delivery of Patriot missiles was possible, he said:

"Probably, yes... They're going to need something because the strikes against them right now are very strong."

Amid criticism of the sudden halt in deliveries, White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt stressed: this is not a final decision, but "a pause to review and make sure that all deliveries from the Pentagon are in the best interests of our military and our service members."

Among the weapons that have been temporarily frozen are 8,400 155mm shells, 142 Hellfire missiles and 252 GMLRS guided missiles capable of accurately hitting targets up to 80 kilometres away.

According to analysts, the coming week will be key in determining the future of US support for Ukraine.

On Thursday, the UK will host a meeting of the so-called "coalition of the willing" - an informal alliance of Western countries united by their desire to support Ukraine in the face of a full-scale invasion by Russia. The meeting is organised at the active initiative of London and Paris.

A spokesman for the Elysee Palace said on condition of anonymity that the meeting will be held with the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The leaders will hold talks from NATO's Northwood Headquarters base, the command centre for the alliance's Combined Maritime Forces.

"The summit will be chaired by the French president and the British prime minister. We will discuss how to preserve Ukraine's defence capability, increase pressure on Russia and identify next steps," the French official said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join the discussions remotely - from Rome, where he is attending the already mentioned international conference.

Since Donald Trump's growing influence in the US, ceasefire talks with Moscow have stalled, European capitals have started to look for their own ways to strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities.

"The conversation among Europeans has now shifted to how to cover Ukraine's needs quickly, especially against the backdrop of air attacks from Russia," French sources said.

In parallel, as previously reported, the Pentagon has partially suspended deliveries of anti-aircraft missiles promised to Ukraine. The reason is fears that the US stockpile of weapons itself has become too low. Ukrainian officials have already warned that freezing military aid will only intensify Russian aggression.