In the midst of ongoing conflict, former Ukrainian serviceman Andriy Hetman has become disillusioned with U.S. President Donald Trump’s fluctuating decisions regarding military aid to Ukraine.
The 29-year-old, who was demobilised after being wounded in the eastern Donbas region in March, expressed a sentiment shared by many, stating, “This time, [Trump] realised he’ll look bad, weak, he’ll look like he’s on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s side.”
On July 1, Trump announced a temporary halt to arms supplies to Kyiv, which include essential air defense interceptors and precision-guided bombs and missiles. However, just days later, he reversed this decision amid Russia’s intensified attacks on Ukrainian cities.
During a news conference in Washington, D.C., Trump stated, “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to [so that Ukrainians] have to be able to defend themselves.”
This aid resumption follows a pattern; in February, Trump had previously frozen military aid after a fallout with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but resumed supplies weeks later.
The recent surge in Russian assaults has left civilians in Ukrainian cities, enduring hours of overnight drone and missile attacks, with many casualties reported.
On Tuesday, President Trump elaborated on his interactions with Putin, stating that while he has been flattered by the Russian leader, his demands have been unreasonable.
In his remarks, Trump said, “We get a lot of bullsh-t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Among Russia’s demands are the “demilitarisation” and “de-Nazification” of Ukraine, purportedly led by a “neo-Nazi junta,” according to the Kremlin.
Moscow is calling for the West to lift multiple layers of sanctions that are significantly affecting Russia’s economy and for the return of assets frozen in Western banks. In response, Trump mentioned that he is contemplating additional sanctions against Russia.
The urgent need for air defense systems in Ukraine cannot be overstated.
The Ukrainian air force reported that in June alone, Russia launched a staggering 5,438 drones, which is a quarter more than earlier this year.
More than half of these drones are loaded with explosives, while the others serve as decoys, leading Ukrainian forces to waste their missiles.
As the Russian drones continue to target civilian areas, the reliance on U.S.-made air defense weaponry has intensified.
Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher at Bremen University in Germany, indicated that the dependence on U.S. supplies has dramatically increased since 2022, as Ukrainian forces deplete many of their Soviet-era air defense systems.
Mitrokhin emphasized that U.S. military support is critical to protect Ukraine from Russia’s drone assaults.
Additionally, U.S.-made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) have proven to be vital for Ukrainian forces, successfully targeting Russian command posts and ammunition depots.
Fesenko, the head of the Penta think tank in Kyiv, described Trump’s reversals concerning aid as stemming from personal whims rather than a systematic approach, dubbing them “Trumpian hills.”
The recent decision to resume aid is perceived as a reaction to the apparent deadlock in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, primarily due to Putin’s lack of willingness to engage in meaningful negotiations.
Fesenko pointed out that Moscow has concluded that the U.S. may no longer support Ukraine, providing Russia a perceived opportunity to gain an upper hand in the conflict.
Domestic pressures within the Republican Party also contributed to Trump’s decision to end the freeze on aid, as it cast Washington in a morally questionable light.
Looking ahead, there’s a possibility that military support from Western nations could become more systematic and sustainable, especially if countries like the United Kingdom and France take a more active role in financing aid.
A significant summit featuring 31 nations, including many European and allied countries, is scheduled to take place in Rome later this week.
The coalition aims to discuss a recovery and peace settlement for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.
From Moscow’s perspective, the Kremlin appears largely unfazed by Trump’s shifts in strategy, as they are accustomed to the unpredictability of his leadership style.
According to Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat who resigned in protest of the war, Trump’s contradictory political stances require careful observation by Russia, while they continue their military campaign and push for acceptance of their conditions.
Meanwhile, Russian forces are advancing in the northern Sumy region, yet they face challenges regaining Ukrainian territory in the western Kursk region after an earlier stalled advance.
While senior Russian officials have remained largely silent regarding the aid resumption, lower-ranking figures have repeated a narrative suggesting that the West has historically held negative views towards Russia.
Dmitry Belik, a politician from Crimea, claimed that the West is employing outdated and ineffective tactics, stating, “The trick is old and ineffective, but the West hasn’t come up with other ways of influencing Russia in the past 1,000 years – or maybe they didn’t want to.”
Adding to the complexity, Vladimir Rogov, a prominent figure in the integration of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, remarked on Trump’s diplomatic posture, suggesting that he expects Russia to yield on vital national interests without clear safety guarantees.
As the situation develops, the North Atlantic response remains crucial to the ongoing war and the future of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
image source from：aljazeera
