Trump, angry with Putin, resumes arms shipments to kyiv

After days of uncertainty, President Donald Trump announced the resumption of arms supplies to Ukraine, reversing a Pentagon suspension that had unsettled kyiv. The decision came after intensifying Russian attacks and criticism from Ukrainian officials, US lawmakers, and NATO partners concerned about signs of wavering US support. Standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump declared: "They're taking a hit. We're going to send more weapons. We have to." The reversal came days after his calls with Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, which yielded "no progress." Hours after speaking with Putin, Russia launched its largest air offensive: in one week, more than 1,200 drones and dozens of missiles hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhia. The Pentagon reportedly justified the pause in arms shipments, including Patriot anti-missile systems and precision artillery, due to the low level of stockpiles of these weapons in the United States. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had halted a shipment already in Poland, causing confusion. However, Trump stated that he did not know who had approved the measure, emphasizing, "We are delivering weapons." Zelensky called his July 4 call with Trump the most "productive" to date and thanked him for his willingness to strengthen air defenses. However, the delivery of only 10 Patriot systems—out of an expected 30—was viewed as "minuscule" by Kyiv. Still, the gesture symbolically reaffirmed US support. Analysts argue that this episode reflects deeper tensions within the Trump administration. According to John E. Herbst of the Atlantic Council, the failed pause revealed foreign policy divisions between those seeking to restrict aid and those urging continued deterrence against Moscow. Trump's shift in stance suggests that Putin's intransigence may have hardened the Republican's stance beyond the Pentagon's calculations.

Now, with kyiv still under siege and European capitals urging greater coordination, questions linger. Will Trump support broader sanctions, such as Senator Lindsey Graham's proposed 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil? Can Ukraine count on future deliveries of the