Ukraine is striking out on getting the U.S. to send it more weapons. So it plans to try something new: Asking Washington to let Europe purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine, according to six people with knowledge of the request.
The novel approach was being discussed around the same time that the Trump administration moved to halt some deliveries of military aid that had already been allocated for Kyiv, including Patriot air defense interceptors and high-explosive artillery rounds. The move, first reported by POLITICO on Tuesday, blindsided top Ukrainian officials. It also comes as Europe pledges to spend more on defense and is looking for creative ways to do so.
As part of the new push, several European governments are exploring plans to buy American-made weapons from their defense budgets for transfer to Ukraine. The money would count toward the new NATO defense spending number, but there have been no solid commitments yet. Those transfers would have to come with U.S. government approval, details of which are being discussed, according to one person familiar with the developing plans. This person, like the others, was granted anonymity to share details of the discussions, which have not been previously reported.
With no additional U.S. help coming and Russia in the middle of a summer military offensive targeting the northeastern city of Sumy that has already seen the Kremlin snatch up key critical minerals deposits, Zelenskyy has been forced to change his approach on acquiring new weapons.
“We don’t have a choice,” a Ukrainian official said.
One potential sticking point involves restrictions the U.S. normally places on allies using American weaponry. During the Biden administration, British Storm Shadow missiles were held up from being sent to Kyiv because they contained U.S. parts. Part of the negotiations will address those permissions, the Ukrainian official said.
American-made weapons take a notoriously long time to construct and ship to allies. But when it comes to high-end equipment such as air defenses, the American-made items are the best on the market and have proven effective against Russian missiles and drones. In 2022, the U.S. funded the sales of 18 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems for Kyiv, but the Lockheed Martin-made weapons have yet to arrive.
It isn’t clear yet whether the United States would grant such requests.
The Trump administration appeared to be warming to the idea of sending more defensive weapons to Kyiv as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands last week. One person directly briefed on the meeting described it as “really positive,” noting that Trump appeared to be “compassionate” and “understanding.”
A second person briefed on the exchange between the two leaders said it was “productive” and went “very, very well.”
Zelenskyy gave Trump an update on the state of the war, the second person said, and outlined what kinds of support Kyiv would need from the United States in the future.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said he’d heard that Zelenskyy had modified his aid request from military aid to weapons purchases. Wicker did not attend the NATO summit, though a bipartisan delegation met with European allies there.
“I’m told that President Zelenskyy’s request now is less financial aid from the United States and more the ability to use European money to purchase guns and ammunition from us,” he said.
Zelenskyy’s office did not immediately respond to questions about the emerging Ukrainian plan or what was discussed during the meeting between the two heads of state.
Trump, who has been repeatedly frustrated in recent weeks by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reticence to come to the bargaining table to end his war on Ukraine, emerged from the meeting more sympathetic to Kyiv’s cause than before — and did not rule out sending more Patriot air defense systems.
“They do want to have the anti-missile missiles, as they call them, and we’re going to see if we can make some available,” Trump said at a news conference at the end of the NATO summit. “They’re very hard to get.”
But despite the positive interactions between Trump and Zelenskyy, there has been no recent movement to get more American weapons to Ukraine. The issue of weapons transfers gained new urgency this week, after the Pentagon’s halt on munitions shipments became public. Defense Department officials had become concerned that U.S. weapons stockpiles were getting low and ordered the partial freeze.
Meanwhile, attempts to clear a fresh round of funding to assist Ukraine have stalled on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers last approved an aid package for Ukraine more than a year ago, when Congress OK’d $61 billion in funding related to arming Kyiv and replenishing U.S. stocks of weapons, along with billions in aid for Israel and other Pacific partners.
Up until this week, that aid was still flowing to Ukraine through Poland, and was slated to last a few more months, depending on the size of each package, one administration official said. The planned packages were more of what has already been sent, including artillery rounds, small arms and air defense missiles, but the Pentagon’s surprise canceling of weapons shipments has created some uncertainty.
The Trump administration has not requested any further weapons, and GOP congressional leaders have signaled Ukraine-related funding isn’t a priority, despite some bipartisan calls for the U.S. to step up. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a floor speech last week urged more security assistance to Ukraine in tandem with new sanctions on Moscow.
The United Kingdom, Canada, and European nations have collectively increased their aid to Ukraine to nearly $23.5 billion in the first three months of 2025, and will provide $40.6 billion in additional military aid for the rest of the year, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said last week.
But European countries have limited ability to provide Kyiv with key weapons, especially air defenses, as Russia bombarded Ukraine’s skies with 477 drones and 60 missiles on Sunday.
“Given the fact that some types of weapons that are critically important for us are not produced by anyone in the democratic world except the U.S., we, together with our European partners, are ready to purchase them,” said a second Ukrainian official.