USA and Ukraine working on arranging phone call between Zelenskyy and Trump
The U.S. and Ukraine are working to set up a call between Presidents of USA and Ukraine, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid reports of a suspension of arms supplies to Ukraine, Politico reports, citing two people familiar with the plans.
“The U.S. is informing Ukraine [of the decision] today in Kyiv and a phone call will also be organized very soon between Trump and Zelenskyy … The U.S. says this is not a pause, not a suspension. The U.S. is still very much in the process of determining how best to support Ukrainian defense. This is still a priority,” said a European diplomat familiar with the plans.
As reported, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, after inspecting the Pentagon's ammunition stockpiles, announced a halt to deliveries of Patriot air defense missiles, precision artillery shells, drones and missiles for F-16 fighters to Ukraine due to concerns that US weapons stockpiles have become too low.
Politico, citing its own sources, reported that the initial decision to suspend part of the aid promised to Ukraine during the administration of former US President Joseph Biden was made in early June, but it is only now coming into effect. It is noted that the Trump administration did not ask for further aid to Ukraine, although there is enough money left from the Biden administration to last Ukraine for several more months.
Colby later stressed that the Pentagon continues to provide the president with credible options for continued military assistance to Ukraine.
Following this, on July 2, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry invited the US Chargé d'Affaires in Ukraine, John Ginkel. "The Ukrainian side emphasized that any delay or hesitation in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities would only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and terror, rather than seek peace," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry website reported.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Defense reported that the Ukrainian side had not received any messages from the United States about the suspension of the delivery of agreed defense assistance and requested a telephone conversation with the American side in connection with information about the delay in the delivery of certain elements of previously allocated defense assistance packages from the United States.