Ukrainians have welcomed US President Donald Trump’s July 7 announcement that he intends to provide their country with more weapons. However, it remains unclear exactly what the US leader has in mind or whether this latest statement represents a major policy shift away from his longstanding reluctance to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Trump’s comments came one week after news broke of a partial pause in US military aid to Ukraine, a decision that sparked considerable alarm in Kyiv and among Ukraine’s European allies. White House officials framed the pause on shipments of crucial weapons categories as an attempt to “put America’s interests first” following a Pentagon review of military stockpiles that reportedly revealed potential shortfalls.
Trump unveiled his apparent U-turn over military aid for Ukraine in Washington DC on Monday evening. “We are going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now,” he commented. According to Trump, the new military deliveries will primarily focus on defensive weapons.
This abrupt change in Trump’s position followed on from two very different phone calls with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. Last Thursday, Trump came away from a long conversation with Vladimir Putin voicing his disappointment and expressing frustration at the Kremlin dictator’s evident determination to continue the war. One day later, The American and Ukrainian leaders held what both sides praised as a friendly and productive call that raised hopes of continued US support for Ukraine in crucial areas such as air defense.
Stay updated
As the world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfold, UkraineAlert delivers the best Atlantic Council expert insight and analysis on Ukraine twice a week directly to your inbox.
Efforts to end the bloodshed in Ukraine have dominated US foreign policy during the first six months of the Trump presidency. Critics have accused the US leader of being too eager to offer Russia concessions while maintaining an uncompromising stance toward Ukraine.
Following Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially struggled to find common ground with the new US administration. The relationship got off to a disastrous start, with Trump branding Zelenskyy a dictator and blaming him for starting the war with Russia. The nadir came in late February, when an Oval Office meeting degenerated into a shouting match that saw Trump accuse Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III.”
Zelenskyy has since taken a number of steps to improve bilateral ties. He has repeatedly praised Trump in public, has backed a US proposal for an unconditional thirty-day ceasefire, and has signed off on a minerals deal that grants American businesses preferential access to Ukraine’s natural resources. Meanwhile, Putin has shown no interest in peace. Instead, he has engaged in transparent stalling tactics and issued a series of maximalist demands while dramatically escalating the bombardment of Ukrainian civilians.
Eurasia Center events
There was a degree of guarded optimism in Ukraine on Tuesday morning following Trump’s talk of new weapons deliveries. While the rollercoaster experience of the past half year has left many deeply cynical about the likelihood of further US support, some Ukrainians also saw a certain logic behind Trump’s sudden change in tone. After all, it is now painfully obvious that Putin does not intend to end the war and has been stringing his American counterpart along for months.
Golos Party leader and member of the Ukrainian Parliament Kira Rudik was one of numerous Ukrainian public figures to suggest that Trump may have finally run out of patience with Putin. “President Trump said the US will send more weapons to Ukraine,” she stated. “This is good news for us, but bad news for Russia. No one will endure Putin’s games forever. It is time to strike back.”
Others underlined that US support for Ukraine remains very much in America’s national interests. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak noted that by denying Russia victory in Ukraine, the United States could prevent a more general European war in the coming years. “The most significant benefit comes from reducing the likelihood of Russian aggression against other European nations,” he commented. “By stopping Putin in Ukraine today, the White House avoids the astronomical future costs of defending NATO allies tomorrow.”
The initial response from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense was somewhat more cautious. While expressing appreciation for continued US support, ministry officials stressed the need for greater clarity. It was “critically important” for Ukraine to maintain “stability, continuity, and predictability” in the delivery of military aid, especially air defense systems, a statement from the ministry read.
More details are likely to emerge in the coming days as senior Ukrainian and US officials meet on the sidelines of this week’s Ukraine Recovery Conference, which is taking place in Rome. Any additional military support from the United States will certainly be welcome, but many in Kyiv will also be looking for further signals that Trump now recognizes the need to get tough with Russia.
Peter Dickinson is editor of the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert service.
Further reading
The views expressed in UkraineAlert are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.
The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia in the East.
Follow us on social media
and support our work
Image: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with US President Trump in the Hague during the NATO Summit on Wednesday June 25, 2025. (Ukraine Presidential Press Office/EYEPRESS)