The United States may soon unlock part of the previously halted military aid to Ukraine — this possibility is currently being discussed at the highest level in Rome and Kyiv. According to Politico, citing informed sources, upcoming meetings between U.S. and Ukrainian officials could lead to the resumption of weapons shipments, including armored vehicles and engineering equipment.
A key figure in these negotiations is President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, retired General Keith Kellogg. He is expected to meet with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov — first in Rome, during an international aid conference, and then in Kyiv. The main issue on the agenda: restarting the delivery of American air defense systems and precision munitions.
Why Ukraine Desperately Needs Patriot Missiles
The Ukrainian side sees the resumption of these supplies as critical — especially after the most intense Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in recent months. Over the past two weeks, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia launched at least 1,270 drones, 39 missiles, and 1,000 glide bombs across Ukraine. As a result, dozens of civilians were killed, and more than 80 were injured — including children.
As Politico reports, the U.S. has already indicated to Kyiv that some shipments of armored vehicles and engineering equipment will resume soon. However, no specific timeline has been provided yet — discussions are ongoing, and the details remain confidential.
President Trump confirmed to reporters on Monday evening that more military aid would be sent. He said:
“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now … We have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily, but they’re getting hit very, very hard. So many people are dying in that mess.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that the aid pause was not permanent, calling it a review process:
“It’s a pause, to review, to ensure that everything the Pentagon is pushing out there is in the best interests of our military and our men and women in uniform.”
Why the Pause Alarmed U.S. Allies
Earlier, the Pentagon unexpectedly halted the delivery of key air defense components and precision-guided weapons to Ukraine, including 30 Patriot missiles, 8,400 155mm artillery shells, 142 Hellfire missiles, and 252 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles. These weapons can strike targets up to 50 miles away and are essential to Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.
The pause caught Kyiv off guard and raised concern among U.S. allies in Europe. According to analysts, it contradicted Trump’s previous comments at the NATO summit in The Hague, where he met with Zelenskyy and expressed readiness to supply more air defense systems:
“They do want to have the anti-missile missiles, as they call them, and we’re going to see if we can make some available. They’re very hard to get.”
The situation began to shift after President Trump held phone calls — first with Vladimir Putin, then with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The call with Putin, Trump said, went poorly:
“It just seems like he wants to go all the way and just keep killing people. It’s not good. I wasn’t happy with it,” he told reporters.
In contrast, Trump described the call with Zelenskyy as the most productive they had ever had:
“Probably the best conversation we have had during this whole time,” Zelenskyy said.
During the conversation, the two leaders discussed a potential ceasefire agreement with Russia and the possibility of resuming arms shipments. When asked whether the U.S. might supply more Patriot missiles — which had been halted by the Pentagon — Trump replied:
“Yeah, we might … they’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.”
Military experts such as Rob Lee from the Foreign Policy Research Institute emphasize that the Patriots play a key role in Ukraine’s defense:
“Russia is producing so many UAVs that are becoming harder to hit with Ukraine’s mobile air defenses,” he explained.
“Russia is actually targeting the defense industry, and sometimes they have success and they destroy factories, so providing air defense systems is important because it also helps Ukraine produce its own munitions so it can sustain the fight itself.”
The resumption of U.S. weapons shipments, including Patriot missiles, may prove decisive in the coming months — particularly if negotiations for a ceasefire make progress. For now, however, the Ukrainian army continues to resist under heavy bombardment — and as officials in Kyiv stress, doing so without American support is becoming increasingly difficult.
This article was prepared based on materials published by Politico. The author does not claim authorship of the original text but presents their interpretation of the content for informational purposes.
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