US Resumes Ukraine Military Aid Amid Ongoing Conflict

The US has resumed sending weapons to Ukraine after a brief pause, but the deliveries are not coming fast enough to stop Russia's ongoing drone and missile strikes. Russia launched hundreds of drones and over a dozen missiles at Ukraine, killing two people and wounding 13 others in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a Marshall Plan to rebuild the country and urged world leaders to provide more support, including using Russia's frozen financial assets to aid in Ukraine's recovery. The US has confirmed that shipments of some munitions, including 155mm artillery rounds and precision-guided GMLRS rockets, have resumed. Zelenskyy met with Keith Kellogg, President Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, to discuss additional US support, including more weapons deliveries and harsher sanctions against Russia. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, saying that the US and Russia had exchanged new ideas to reach a deal to end the Ukraine war.

The US has resumed supplying Ukraine with critical military equipment, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after a pause last week. The supplies include Patriot systems and precision artillery shells, which were halted amid a spike in Russian attacks on civilians. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said allies, such as Germany and Norway, were prepared to help, and that the US was encouraging Nato countries to hand over existing batteries in their possession. The decision comes as Russia intensifies its drone and missile strikes, with June seeing a three-year record high of civilian casualties in the conflict.

Poland has finalized a deal to acquire 180 South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks worth $6.7 billion, bringing its total arsenal to nearly 1,000 of the armored vehicles. The deal underscores South Korea's emergence as a major arms supplier to US allies, particularly as the war in Ukraine has drained US stockpiles. Poland, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has increased its defense spending to 4.7% of GDP, the highest percentage among NATO allies, and has donated over 300 tanks to Ukraine. The K2 tanks will be partly manufactured in South Korea and partly in Poland, with 60 of the new batch being built in Poland. South Korea has become the world's 10th-largest arms exporter, with Poland receiving 46% of its military exports.

At least one person was killed after Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine hours after US President Donald Trump pledged more military support for Kyiv and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of throwing "bullsh*t" over peace talks. The attack came as negotiations towards a peace deal have slowed down, with Moscow scaling up its air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. Trump had expressed frustration with Putin for not engaging in peace talks, and his comments were followed by the large-scale drone attack.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is visiting North Korea for three days, potentially indicating deepening relations between Moscow and Pyongyang amid escalating tensions and Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine, with recent large-scale drone attacks on Ukraine following US President Donald Trump's criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin's stance on peace talks.

NATO countries have agreed to purchase US weapons for Ukraine as part of a new deal reached at last month's NATO summit. President Donald Trump revealed that the US will send weapons to NATO, which will then be transferred to Ukraine, with NATO covering the full cost. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Berlin is prepared to purchase additional Patriot systems from the US to make them available to Ukraine. The deal comes as Russia continues to escalate its assault on Ukraine, including a recent strike on a maternity hospital. Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin and vowed to make a "major statement" on Russia.