After weeks of stalled negotiations, President Trump has taken a decisive step: he has approved new military support for Ukraine while issuing a 50-day ultimatum to Vladimir Putin.

If no progress is made by the end of that period, the White House has vowed to impose 100% tariffs on countries—many of them—that continue to trade with Russia. This is part of a broader strategy aimed at increasing pressure on the Kremlin to engage in meaningful negotiations. While some observers see this as a dramatic shift in Trump’s policy, the reality is that U.S. military assistance to Kyiv never fully stopped. What had been on hold were new deliveries—something that could now resume under this latest push.

Technically, the United States itself will not deliver PATRIOT batteries. Instead, individual European nations will take on that responsibility, drawing from their own stockpiles—or from those of other European countries—and covering the associated costs. Germany is expected to fund two batteries, and Norway—despite not operating the PATRIOT system—is reportedly preparing to finance the transfer of an additional unit from a third party. A fourth battery remains uncertain (and it's best not to take President Trump’s ever-changing declarations at face value).

These countries would eventually replenish their arsenals by purchasing new systems from the U.S., where PATRIOT production is currently ramping up. To put that in perspective, the U.S. Army's 2026 budget request includes a plan to quadruple its own PATRIOT inventory. However, timelines are far from immediate. Training personnel, stockpiling and registering interceptors, and establishing operational batteries all take time—while Ukraine is believed to need at least ten more PATRIOT units to meet current threats.

The urgency is understandable. The PATRIOT system—especially the PAC-3 variant—has proven highly effective against Russian tactical ballistic missiles like the ISKANDER, and even against hypersonic air-launched KINZHALs. According to Ukrainian sources, 23 KINZHAL missiles have been fired since early June alone, and their accuracy and effectiveness are increasing.

In parallel, the U.S. is reportedly preparing to authorize new shipments of artillery ammunition, HIMARS rockets, ATACMS tactical missiles, and, according to some sources, even the long-range air-to-surface JASSM-ER missiles (that are already integrated on the F-16s).

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