Russia has welcomed the announcement by the United States that it will suspend the shipment of some weapons to Ukraine and sees it as a help to end the conflict sooner.
Meanwhile, Kyiv seeks to "clarify" the situation with Washington after the halt in arms deliveries just as Russia intensifies its airstrikes against Ukraine. This suspension of shipments to Kyiv affects missiles and air defense projectiles, according to Politico and other US media.
During the presidency of Democrat Joe Biden, the United States provided over 60,000 million dollars in military aid to Kyiv.
The decision, a harsh blow to Ukraine, is announced amid one of Russia's biggest offensives in over three years of war, aiming to maximize its territorial gains before seriously considering a complete ceasefire.
Ceasefire negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow remain at a standstill.
Russia, which already controls about a fifth of Ukraine, continues to gradually advance, gaining ground in recent weeks in the southeastern regions of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk.
Ukraine thanks Latvia for the delivery of armored vehicles
Kyiv seeks to "clarify" the situation with Washington after the halt in arms deliveries
Kyiv seeks to "clarify" the situation with Washington after the announcement that the United States had ceased the delivery of certain weapons since its first military support since 2022 against the Russian invasion, declared an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
"We are in the process of clarifying the situation," said Zelensky's advisor Dmytro Lytvyne to the press, ensuring that "communication with the US side is currently ongoing at all levels," according to Afp.
Kyiv conveys to the US the "critical importance" of continuing to receive its weaponry
The Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariana Betsa, summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy, John Ginkel, in Kyiv on Wednesday to convey that the uninterrupted continuation of US military aid is of "critical importance" for Ukraine, reports Efe.
Kyiv is making this move after it was revealed that the US has suspended the shipment of certain weapons to Ukraine - including air defense missiles - after reevaluating Washington's military support to other countries.
The interruption of shipments by the US is due to the low level of its own reserves of some types of weapons and ammunition, according to US media.
According to a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister emphasized to Ginkel that it is "critically important that the supply of previously approved military packages continue, especially those that strengthen air defenses."
"The Ukrainian side emphasized that any delay or interruption in military support to Ukraine's capabilities will only encourage the aggressor to continue war and terror and not seek peace," added Ukrainian diplomacy, explaining that Kyiv and Washington are in contact "at all levels" regarding the levels of weapon reserves cited by Washington as the reason for the interruption of shipments.
Foreign Affairs noted that it is Russia that refuses to declare the ceasefire requested by the US and thanked the Americans for all the military support provided.
Merz does not plan a call with Putin following Macron's call
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz currently has no plans to hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week, a German government spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Germany had been informed in advance of the call by France, the spokesperson added, according to Reuters.
The Kremlin says the US pause in arms shipments to Ukraine will accelerate the end of the conflict
The Kremlin welcomed on Wednesday the news that the United States has halted some arms deliveries to Ukraine, saying that the fewer weapons sent to Kyiv, the sooner the conflict will end.
The Pentagon has halted some shipments of anti-aircraft missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine amid concerns that US reserves are too low, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.
A senior Ukrainian lawmaker described Washington's decision as "painful" for Kyiv's efforts to defend against Russian airstrikes, which have intensified in recent weeks.
The Kremlin says Macron's call with Putin was "very substantive" and at France's initiative
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it was France that requested French President Emmanuel Macron to speak by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin after a nearly three-year pause, and that the two leaders had a "very substantive" conversation, according to Reuters.
The two leaders spoke on Tuesday and discussed the Iran-Israel conflict and Ukraine, the first such exchange between the two men since September 2022.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the call lasted more than two hours. Macron asks Putin for "a ceasefire as soon as possible" in Ukraine in their first conversation in three years
The Kremlin says the end of the conflict is approaching
The cessation of US arms deliveries to Ukraine is bringing the end of the conflict closer, the Kremlin said after the US decision to suspend the delivery of missiles and air defense projectiles to Kyiv, according to a breaking news report from Afp.