Zelenskyy to discuss halt in US weapon deliveries with Trump

Daryna Krasnolutska, Bloomberg News on Jul 3, 2025

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is likely to hold a phone call with Donald Trump on Friday to discuss the U.S. decision to pause the transfer of artillery rounds and air defenses to Ukraine, a person familiar with the matter said.

The decision by Washington earlier this week caught Kyiv and its allies off guard and came just days after Russia hit Ukraine with a record air strike since the full-scale invasion began nearly three-and-half years ago.

Preparations for a call between the two presidents were already underway before the latest U.S. action in order to follow up on their meeting at a NATO summit in The Hague last week, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the talks are private.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The halt to deliveries came after a review of U.S. munitions stockpiles and amid concerns they had fallen too low, the White House said earlier. Among the weapons that are being paused are 155mm artillery shells and Patriot air-defense batteries, which are key for Ukraine as it seeks to repel increasingly deadly Russian drone and missile strikes.

All details about the supply of military assistance are being clarified at the working level between Ukraine and the U.S., Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Wednesday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also invited acting U.S. Charge d’Affairs John Ginkel to discuss military aid with his deputy.

Trump said only last week that he’d look at sending more Patriots to Ukraine following “a good” meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

Current U.S. funding for military aid to Ukraine that was approved under former President Joe Biden is due to run out in the summer. Trump has indicated he won’t renew the funding support for Ukraine, which needs weapons including Patriots that only the U.S. can supply.

Zelenskyy is seeking to persuade the U.S. president to allow Kyiv to buy weapons instead. He has also appealed to Trump to ramp up sanctions on Russia, arguing that it’s the only way to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage seriously with peace talks.

The Financial Times first reported the plans for a phone call earlier on Thursday.

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—With assistance from Catherine Lucey.