This week, fighting continued to rage all along the front lines. Russia continued to fire missile and drones at Ukrainian cities and towns deep in the rear. Russian attacks with a missile and drones on Wednesday damaged industrial sites in the cities of Vinnytsya, Kryvyi Rih and Kharkiv. Russia is increasingly using chemical weapons in Ukraine, the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas said, citing German and Dutch intelligence reports.
Russia could be days or weeks away from surging into a heightened summer offensive, according to a CNN report. Ukraine’s defense intelligence expands the use of ground robots in combat operations.
Recent U.S. announcements on Ukraine mark a tonal U-turn. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi met Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg who was on a visit to Kyiv. They discussed air defenses, arms purchases and sanctions on Russia, as per Zelenskyi’s statement.
The U.S. Senate hit brakes on a Russia sanctions package after Trump pledged to take action Monday. Trump considered sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, but they’re off the delivery list for now, according to a WP column. Behind Trump’s tough Russia talk, doubts and missing details, the NYT said.
Kremlin officials dismiss Trump’s demand and restate Russia’s commitment to its war aims, said the Institute for the Study of War.
Frontline, a Ukrainian robotics company, and Quantum Systems, a German-Ukrainian defense tech company signed a strategic investment deal. The German defense ministry said the country is ready to fund the purchase of two Patriot systems for Ukraine.
EU ambassadors have reportedly agreed to the 18th package of sanctions against Russia on Friday morning after Slovakia and Malta were blocking the EU sanctions plan for weeks.
Trump “aggressively” pursuing his vision to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. State Department says.
“The President [is] speaking quite transparently about his assessment of things (…) — he is a very patient man (…). And the arrangements and the conversations certainly with Secretary General Rutte and NATO in general, the plans in which to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs defensively — but I think the President is someone who will make these decisions and continues to approach it aggressively so that his vision of this conflict ending will come to pass,” U.S. Department of State’s spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Thursday.
Sitting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump told reporters he was disappointed in Russian leader Vladimir Putin and that billions of dollars of U.S. weapons would go to Ukraine. “We’re going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they’ll be sent to NATO,” Trump said, adding that Washington’s NATO allies would pay for them.
Ukraine will receive additional Patriot batteries, he also announced.
Trump’s plan came as a surprise to at least part of NATO’s European allies, Reuters said. It remains a question who would donate the Patriot batteries and when.
Preparations are underway to quickly transfer additional Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), said on Thursday.
