The Kremlin has repeatedly said arms shipments to Ukraine from allies prolong the conflict Moscow started and raise the risk of escalation. The U.S. confirmed this week it had paused supplying some arms to fight Russian aggression.

As president, Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire for a U.S. rapprochement with Russia, in distinct contrast with the policies of previous administrations. On June 16, for instance, he called Russia’s expulsion from the elite Group of Seven (G7) forum of major advanced economies a “mistake.

While repelling the attack, Ukraine lost its fourth F-16 fighter jet. Although details surrounding the loss remain undisclosed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously bestowed the title of Hero of Ukraine on pilot Maksym Ustymenko,