The Pentagon abruptly suspended the shipments in early July, citing a need to audit remaining stockpiles
Supporters of Ukraine demonstrate in Washington, DC, on July 9, 2024. © Beata Zawrzel / NurPhoto / Getty Images
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has confirmed that deliveries of weapons from the US have resumed following a pause earlier this month.
Military aid from abroad is becoming increasingly crucial as Ukrainian forces continue to lose ground and suffer heavy casualties while trying to hold positions along various sections of the front line.
“We have received political signals at the highest level, good signals, including from the United States and from our European friends. According to all reports, aid shipments have been restored,” Zelensky said in his daily video message on Friday.
He added that Ukraine will maintain military cooperation with the US and expects new deliveries from its European partners.
His remarks come after nearly two weeks of uncertainty, during which the Pentagon abruptly suspended shipments, citing concerns over depleting stockpiles. US President Donald Trump has since pledged to restart the flow of arms, following reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the pause without first consulting the president or the State Department.
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Reuters and Politico reported earlier this week that Trump plans to use the Presidential Drawdown Authority to authorize a new aid package potentially worth $300 million, which may include Patriot air defense missiles. The president teased a major statement on Russia scheduled for Monday and told NBC that he had finalized a deal to sell weapons to NATO that would later be transferred to Ukraine.
Trump has recently expressed frustration over the lack of progress in Russian-Ukrainian peace talks and said he is open to approving a new sanctions bill currently under discussion in the Senate.
Moscow has insisted that no amount of foreign aid will prevent it from achieving victory. The Kremlin has also listed a halt to weapons deliveries as one of its conditions for a ceasefire, arguing that military support from NATO members makes them direct participants in the conflict.