WSJ: Trump promises Zelenskyy to continue military aid

U.S. President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he was not behind the recent freeze in American weapons deliveries to Kyiv, offering reassurances that the United States remains committed to supporting Ukraine militarily.

The two leaders spoke by phone on July 4, just days after the U.S. paused shipments of critical military aid to Ukraine. According to individuals briefed on the conversation, Trump said the decision stemmed from a broader Pentagon review of munitions stockpiles following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last month, and not from a directive issued by him personally, Caliber.Az reports via The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Trump was quoted as telling Zelenskyy that he had ordered the review but "didn’t order the department to freeze the arms deliveries." He reportedly assured the Ukrainian leader that the U.S. would send “as much military aid as it can spare.”

Despite Trump’s assurances, the shipments remain suspended for now. A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the continued pause, though no specific timeline was offered for resuming the deliveries.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified during a July 7 press briefing that the review was initiated by newly appointed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “It was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who directed the review when he took office, ‘to ensure that everything that is going out the door aligns with America’s interests,’” Leavitt said.

The temporary halt, first reported on July 1, reportedly caught several parts of the U.S. government off guard, including the State Department, members of Congress, and Ukrainian officials. It also came amid renewed tensions following a July 3 phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Trump said he was “very disappointed” and “didn’t make any progress” on advancing a peace deal for Ukraine.

Trump had urged Putin to end the war, but the Kremlin said the Russian president refused. The following day, Russia launched its largest single air attack since the war began, with waves of drones and missiles hitting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.

By Vugar Khalilov