- Pentagon announces new weapons shipment to Ukraine following Russia’s largest aerial assault since 2022, despite concerns over endless funding and no clear endgame.
- Russia launched 539 drones and 11 missiles on July 4, overwhelming Ukrainian defenses and hitting eight locations, prompting urgent U.S. military aid.
- A brief Pentagon pause in weapons deliveries caused panic in Kyiv, with Germany stepping in to provide Patriot missiles as Ukraine pleaded for reinforcements.
- Russia demands Ukraine’s surrender, including demilitarization and recognition of annexed territories, while dismissing claims of halted U.S. arms shipments.
- U.S. has spent over $100 billion on Ukraine aid, sparking internal debates about prioritizing China and whether continued support is sustainable or futile.
In yet another escalation of America’s endless funding of Ukraine’s unwinnable war, the Pentagon announced late Monday that it would send additional defensive weapons to Kyiv at President Trump’s direction, just days after Russia launched its largest aerial assault since the 2022 invasion. The decision comes despite growing concerns that the U.S. is pouring billions of dollars into a conflict with no clear endgame, all while Russia continues to demand Ukraine’s surrender as the price for peace.
On July 4, Russia unleashed a devastating barrage of 539 Iranian-made Shahed drones and 11 missiles targeting Kyiv, marking the most intense aerial attack in over two years. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted most of the projectiles, but eight locations still suffered direct hits, underscoring the relentless pressure on Ukraine’s dwindling military resources. President Trump, acknowledging the severity of the strikes, told reporters, “We have to [send weapons]. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now.”
A war with no end in sight
The latest weapons shipment follows a brief Pentagon pause last week, when officials halted deliveries of critical arms, including Patriot missiles and artillery shells, to conduct a “capability review” aligning aid with U.S. defense priorities. That pause triggered panic in Kyiv, with Ukrainian officials warning that delays would weaken their ability to repel Russian advances. Germany scrambled to negotiate its own Patriot sales to fill the gap, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed Washington for urgent reinforcements.
Yet even as the U.S. prepares to send more arms, the reality on the ground remains grim. Russia now controls nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and large portions of the eastern Donbas region. Kremlin officials have made it clear they will not negotiate unless Ukraine surrenders to their demands: demilitarization, regime change (dubbed “denazification” by Moscow), and recognition of Russia’s illegal annexations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated these conditions in an interview this week, stating that peace talks must address NATO expansion and alleged discrimination against Russian-speaking Ukrainians. “These are the root causes of the war,” Lavrov declared, adding that sanctions relief and frozen asset returns are non-negotiable.
A failed peace push
President Trump, who once hoped to broker a ceasefire, now admits his efforts have stalled. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, praised Trump’s willingness to engage, even as he dismissed claims of halted U.S. weapons shipments. “There has been no definite information yet confirming that the deliveries have been stopped,” Peskov said, adding that Europe’s continued arms flow proves Ukraine remains heavily supplied.
Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, concluded that Moscow has no interest in good-faith negotiations. “The Kremlin remains uninterested in good-faith peace negotiations and any settlement to the war that does not acquiesce to its demands,” the group noted in a sobering assessment for those still clinging to hopes of diplomacy.
Wasting American resources
While the White House frames these weapons shipments as “defensive,” they are only prolonging a bloody stalemate. The U.S. has already spent more than $100 billion on military aid to Ukraine since 2022, depleting American stockpiles of critical munitions. Last week’s pause, although brief, highlighted growing concerns about overextension, yet the administration quickly reversed course under pressure from Kyiv and European allies.
Even Trump’s own team appears divided. While Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell emphasized that the latest shipment aligns with “America First defense priorities,” others within the administration have pushed to prioritize China as the greater long-term threat. The internal debate reflects a broader frustration among conservatives: Why should American taxpayers foot the bill for a war Ukraine cannot win?
As Russia’s offensive grinds on, the Trump administration’s blank-check approach looks increasingly unsustainable. With no viable path to victory and Putin refusing to back down, the U.S. must ask itself whether endless arms shipments are truly securing peace or merely delaying the inevitable.
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