Description: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy held a 40 – minute phone call with US President Trump, where they discussed the possibilities of renewed US weapons supplies to Ukraine. Trump heavily criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin in their phone call on Thursday, stating that the Russian leader outright refused to commit any efforts towards ending the war. Last week, the US Department of Defense halted weapons supplies to Ukraine, citing shortages reasons, however, after the phone call with Zelenskyy, Trump stated that continued US support was a necessity at this point as Ukraine’s aerial defenses were overwhelmed by constant Russian attacks. The presidents also discussed possibilities regarding joint US – Ukraine manufacturing cooperation and the continued supply of Patriot air defense systems. Russia launched the largest drone and missile strike to date, attacking Kyiv with more than 560 Shahed drones and launching more than 11 ballistic missiles in a seven – hour long aerial campaign. Five other Ukrainian regions were also struck, with Ukraine’s defenses claiming they shot down 270 targets while another 208 were lost due to jamming operations.
Impact: The Russian military campaign continues to intensify substantially overwhelming the Ukrainian air defense systems and subverting the country’s wholesale defensive efforts. After the disappointing call with Putin, Trump seems poised to reinstate military support for Ukraine amid the recent attacks and the review by the US Department of Defense. The Russian military buildup around Ukrainian border regions coupled with recent findings that soldiers from North Korea and Laos would assist the Russian offensive, position Ukraine in its worst position in the war so far. Potential US supply of advanced aerial defense systems such as the Patriot, would enable Ukraine’s defense forces to concentrate on countering Russia’s ground offensive by eliminating their dominance in the aerial war. Negotiations have so far proven to be ineffective, with Russia continuously refusing to engage diplomatically with Ukraine through mediators while intensifying its military campaign.