French media: US suspends delivery of some weapons to Ukraine, catching Kyiv off guard

The unexpected announcement by the United States to suspend the delivery of some weapons to Kyiv dealt a heavy blow to Ukraine, which is currently facing a strong Russian offensive. Kyiv called on Wednesday for the US to "continuously" maintain military support for Ukraine.

After Trump returned to the White House in January, he overturned the US policy towards Russia, quickly approached Putin, and exerted pressure to try to stop the war, but without success.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration unexpectedly announced that it would halt the delivery of some weapons to Ukraine, citing as an official reason the insufficient stockpiles of ammunition in the US itself.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has been the largest military supporter of Ukraine. The weapons, ammunition, military equipment, and intelligence provided by the US have enabled Ukraine to contain the Russian advance that has occupied 20% of Ukraine.

A senior Ukrainian military official, speaking anonymously to AFP, said that Kyiv still "severely relies" on American arms. He stated, "The EU has done everything it can to support us, but without American military support, we will find it very difficult."

The reasons behind Washington's decision remain unclear so far. On Wednesday evening, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announced that Washington and Kyiv are currently working to "clarify all details" regarding the US military aid provided to Ukraine, "including air defense components." Previously, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense had stated that they had not received any formal notice from the US about the suspension of weapon deliveries.

On Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the acting US ambassador John Kinkell, reminding him that "any delay or postponement in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities will only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and increase terror."

According to US media such as "Politico," the weapons suspended from delivery include the Patriot missile defense system, precision artillery, and "Hellfire" missiles.

In recent weeks, Zelenskyy has continuously urged Trump to increase the sale of "Patriot" systems to him, so that Ukraine can more effectively counter the daily missile and drone attacks by Russia. On June 25, Zelenskyy again made this request to Trump in The Hague, but Trump avoided answering.

On Wednesday evening, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Yermak reiterated on X platform that Ukraine is ready to "purchase or lease" air defense systems to deal with the "large number of drones, bombs, and missiles" launched by Russia against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military expressed some concerns over the US statement. Igor Stambol, a 36-year-old historian, lamented to AFP in Kyiv: "This is obviously disappointing."

Not surprisingly, the Kremlin was very pleased with this. Its spokesperson Peskov stated: "The fewer weapons delivered to Ukraine, the closer we are to ending the special military operation."

Some experts analyze that this move by the US makes Russia less inclined to negotiate with Ukraine.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836585736791108/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.