The suspended deliveries of some US military assistance to Ukraine could resume following high-level meetings between US and Ukrainian officials scheduled to take place in Rome and Kyiv next week.

The suspended deliveries of some US military assistance to Ukraine could resume following high-level meetings between US and Ukrainian officials scheduled to take place in Rome and Kyiv next week.

Source: Politico, citing two sources familiar with the plans

Details: The sources stated that Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine, is expected to hold two meetings with Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umierov – first in Rome at an international aid conference and then in Kyiv. The resumption of weapons deliveries, which were suspended earlier this month, is expected to be a key topic of discussion.

The sources noted that the US had informed Kyiv of its intention to resume deliveries of engineering equipment and certain types of armoured vehicles. However, no specific timeline has been set.

Kellogg spokesperson Morgan Murphy said the meeting between Kellogg and Umierov in Kyiv had not initially intended to address US military assistance and had been “set up before news of the arms pause came to light last week”.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed on Monday 7 July that this is not a complete halt in assistance, but “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.”

Politico mentioned that the suspended assistance package includes 8,400 155-mm artillery shells, 142 Hellfire missiles, 252 guided rockets for multiple-launch rocket systems with a range of up to 80 km and 30 missiles for Patriot air defence systems.

Background:

On 1 July, the White House confirmed that the Pentagon had paused the delivery of certain air defence missiles and other precision-guided munitions to Ukraine because of concerns over dwindling US weapons stockpiles.Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said it had not received any official notification regarding a suspension or revision of the delivery schedule for US military aid and had requested a phone call with its US counterparts.On Friday 4 July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call with Trump, seeking to convince the American leader to resume supplies and sell more weapons to Ukraine.NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that he understands the US administration’s desire to prioritise its own interests, but called for continued military support for Ukraine.

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