This is reported by Kyiv24
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced his intention to hold a phone conversation with former U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss bilateral relations between the countries and further support for Ukraine from the United States.
“Regarding our bilateral relations with the United States and this support – I hope that, perhaps tomorrow or in the coming days, I will discuss this with President Trump,” Zelensky said while speaking with the press in Denmark.
The U.S. Temporarily Suspended Some Military Supplies
Earlier, the Financial Times reported that during a phone conversation on July 4, Trump and Zelensky might discuss the suspension of key types of American weapon supplies to Ukraine, particularly concerning upcoming arms supply contracts. According to media reports, the U.S. decided to temporarily halt part of its military aid due to concerns about depleting its own weapon stockpiles. Official representatives in Washington did not specify which systems were excluded from the supplies.
Media reports indicate that this concerns the temporary suspension of the transfer of dozens of interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems, portable Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, precision artillery shells, over 100 Hellfire missiles, and AIM missiles.
Reactions from Officials and Ukraine’s Allies
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the temporary chargé d’affaires of the U.S. in Ukraine, John Hinkel, was invited to the Ministry to discuss military aid and defense cooperation between the countries amid escalating aggression from the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense emphasized that it had not received official notifications from the United States regarding the suspension or changes to the schedules of agreed defense assistance. The ministry initiated a conversation with its American counterparts to clarify the details.
European officials were “stunned” by the U.S. decision, as mentioned in a Bloomberg report. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte noted that Ukraine would not be able to manage without the support of its allies, especially the U.S., in the near future. He emphasized that the United States must take care of its own weapon stockpiles, but it is also important to consider the needs of the Ukrainian side. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak stressed that supporting Ukraine aligns with Poland’s interests.
In the Kremlin, commenting on the situation, officials stated that the reduction of arms supplies to Ukraine could allegedly lead to a quicker end to the so-called “special military operation,” as Russia refers to the war against Ukraine.
Amid the intensification of air attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian cities, the Ukrainian authorities continuously call on Western partners to increase the supply of air defense systems. During the concluding press conference of the NATO summit in The Hague last week, Donald Trump stated that the U.S. is considering providing Ukraine with additional Patriot systems.