Trump assured Zelensky he was not behind the halt in arms deliveries to Ukraine and stated he "will send more weapons"

President Donald Trump announced Monday that the United States will begin sending "more weapons" to Ukraine, a few days after holding a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to whom he assured that it was not he who ordered the suspension of arms supplies.

"We're gonna send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now," Trump said after being asked by the press.

Trump's statements come shortly after The Wall Street Journal revealed—citing a source with direct knowledge of the conversation—that the US president explained to Zelenskyy that his decision was not a suspension but a review of the Pentagon's arsenals following US strikes against nuclear facilities in Iran last month.

Trump insisted he never ordered a freeze on arms deliveries to Kyiv, which remains at war with Russia as negotiations to reach a cease-fire stall.

The productive conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy suggests that Washington is ready to back Kyiv further, which would give much breathing space to the battered Ukrainian forces.

The arms package from Washington, which still remains suspended, includes Patriot missile interceptors, AIM-120 anti-aircraft missiles, howitzer rounds, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GMLRS missiles for HIMARS launchers, Stinger anti-tank missiles, and grenade launchers.

The Ukrainians are particularly interested in Patriot missiles because of their ability to counter Russian ballistic missiles.

The call between the two leaders reportedly took place over the weekend, and Zelenskyy himself publicly let his optimism show after speaking with Trump.

“This was probably the best conversation in all this time; it was maximally productive,” Zelenskyy said on the morning of July 5th. “I am grateful for the readiness to help.”

The conversation also came after Trump publicly took aim at Vladimir Putin for not cooperating with efforts to achieve peace, which angered the Republican leader.

In fact, Trump said he was "very disappointed" in Putin after months earlier he blamed Zelenskyy for not seeking a cease-fire hand in hand with Washington, even going so far as to have a sharp exchange in front of the press at the White House.

If the White House eventually resends arms to Ukraine, that could translate into criticism against Trump, who during the election campaign actively promised to reach peace between Russia and Ukraine in order to precisely stop sending resources to Kiev and strike deals beneficial to the US.

In fact, according to a State Department fact sheet, since Russia's invasion against Ukraine in 2022, US sent a total of $66.9 billion in military assistance to Kiev.