President Trump of the United States, after a “no progress” call with Russian President Putin, had another conversation with Ukrainian President Zelensky on the 4th, agreeing to jointly strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. On the same day, Germany confirmed that Prime Minister Merkel had a phone conversation with Trump discussing air defense issues.
At the same time, Russia is launching a large-scale summer offensive against Ukraine, and the suspension of some U.S. military aid has significantly increased pressure on Ukraine.
Analysts believe that the U.S.’s suspension of “aid to Ukraine” is calculated and cunning.
Zelensky: The U.S.-Ukraine Call “Very Productive”
Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed on social media that his call with U.S. President Trump on the 4th was very important and productive. Zelensky thanked the U.S. for its support to Ukraine. Ukraine recognizes the peace plan proposed by the U.S. and looks forward to reaching a dignified peace agreement.
During this call, both sides exchanged views in-depth about the current situation, including Russian airstrikes and frontline situations. They also discussed the possibility of enhancing air defense systems and agreed to jointly promote the enhancement of airspace defense capabilities, with relevant teams set to hold a special meeting on this matter.
Moreover, they detailed discussions on the prospects of defense industry cooperation, especially opportunities in the field of joint production. Zelensky stated that Ukraine is ready to engage in direct cooperation projects with the United States, which is crucial for improving security levels, especially in drone technology and related fields.
German Chancellor: Will Invest in Purchasing Some of the U.S. Planned Aid to Ukraine
The spokesperson for the German Federal Government confirmed on the 4th local time that German Chancellor Merkel had a phone conversation with U.S. President Trump the day before yesterday, initiated by Germany, focusing on enhancing Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.
Previously, the U.S. decided to temporarily delay the delivery of a new round of military aid, including the Patriot air defense system, to Ukraine.
During a phone call, Mutez proposed that Germany is willing to fund the purchase of some of the weapons originally planned for Ukraine by the US and hand them over to Ukraine to fill the current gap. However, this call did not make any clear commitments regarding related military aid. Additionally, Mutez also briefly discussed bilateral economic and trade issues with Trump.
Trump: “No progress” in talks with Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump had a phone conversation on the 3rd, exchanging views on issues such as the Ukraine issue. Trump later stated, “The call lasted a long time but there was no progress.” Trump expressed his displeasure at this. Putin stated that Russia would not give up its goals in Ukraine.
Russian forces continue to escalate airstrikes
On the 4th, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that over the past night, Russian forces launched large-scale strikes using long-range precision guided munitions and long-range attack drones against Ukrainian drone research and development companies, military airports, refineries, and other targets.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also reported that from June 28 to July 3, Russian forces launched five major airstrikes against Ukraine, destroying Ukrainian military industrial complexes, refineries, Ukrainian military control systems, radar stations, ammunition and material warehouses, drone production workshops, unmanned boat storage sites, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian troops.
Ukraine strikes Russian drone combat component manufacturing enterprises
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed on the 4th that it carried out an attack on a Russian company producing drone combat components.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in the morning of the same day, the Ukrainian armed drone system units and other departments of the Ministry of Defense coordinated their actions to strike the “Applied Chemistry Research Institute” Federal Scientific Production Center located in Severodonetsk Oblast, Moscow Oblast, Russia. The enterprise is currently engaged in the production of attack drone thermobaric bomb combat components.
Recent reports from American media have stated that due to insufficient ammunition stocks in the United States, the U.S. government has slowed down the “supply of weapons to Ukraine” initiative, temporarily halting some weapon deliveries. However, the U.S. government insists that it continues to provide support to Ukraine with weapons.
President Donald Trump stated on March 3rd that the U.S. is still providing weapons to Ukraine, prioritizing its interests. Trump did not specify which weapons were suspended or which are still being supplied.
Trump also accused the Biden administration of “depleting the entire country’s military support for Ukraine.”
According to a report by The New York Times on March 1st, the U.S. Department of Defense ordered an audit of its stockpile of weapons weeks ago and subsequently made the decision to suspend shipments. The report mentioned: “Although it’s unclear how many weapons are included, the signal seems clear: Washington is withdrawing from the battlefield between Russia and Ukraine.”
On March 2nd, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, Sean Parnell, defended the suspension of weapons supplies as part of a review of military aid to ensure it aligns with the U.S. national defense priorities. Parnell declined to disclose the types and quantities of weapons being paused.
The Washington Post reported on March 2nd that since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than $67 billion worth of weapons and security assistance. According to U.S. media, the U.S. has temporarily stopped supplying Ukraine with “Patriot” missiles, “Himars” rockets, “Stinger” portable anti-aircraft missiles, AIM-7 “Sparrow” air-to-air missiles, and “Hellfire” tank destroyers among other key weapons.
The U.S.’s Suspension of Key Weapons Pressures Ukraine’s Defense Capabilities
Analysts point out that the U.S.’s suspension of certain military aid will further strain Ukraine’s air defense system. Lesia Orobitz, a former Ukrainian parliamentarian, said that the U.S.-made “Patriot” air defense system is “essential and irreplaceable” for Ukraine’s resistance against Russian missile attacks.
Ukrainian National Security Studies Institute military analyst Nikolai Blyusov believes that, given Russia’s increasing production of short-range ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s inability to acquire more “Patriot” anti-aircraft missiles will severely impact its air defense capabilities.
CCTV Wei Dongxu: The suspension of the United States’ weapons and ammunition supplies to Ukraine is indeed what the Ukrainian military currently needs the most. At this time, the United States’ decision to suspend the delivery of these interceptor missiles from the Patriot system to Ukraine could lead to increasingly significant vulnerabilities in the Ukrainian air defense system. The Ukrainian army also has a high demand for 155mm caliber artillery shells. The United States must also suspend the supply of large-caliber artillery shells to Ukraine. The suspension of assistance by the United States also includes the Hellfire heavy anti-tank missile and AIM-7 Sparrow missile, which would weaken the firepower of the Ukrainian frontline combat forces.
The United States’ suspension of “supporting Ukraine” is part of its strategy and tactics.
CCTV Wei Dongxu: Among the NATO military group, the United States has the largest stockpile of arms, and the U.S. military inventory is far from reaching the alert level. So why does the Trump administration adopt a posture aimed at striking at Ukraine? I believe it is first to coerce allies, forcing Ukraine to recognize the proposal for mediating the Russia-Ukraine conflict put forward by the United States. It is not excluded that the United States might want to provide weapons and equipment to Ukraine in a different manner, possibly demanding a significant price from Ukraine to use European countries’ aid funds to purchase weapons and equipment from the United States, thereby securing more profits for American arms dealers.
The suspension of U.S. assistance to Ukraine in arms and equipment may also be a show for Russia, to win Russian trust. During negotiations between the United States and Russia, it is possible to deceive Russia into agreeing to certain conditions proposed by the United States, thus there is indeed a possibility of playing both sides against each other.