Despite splashy headlines, the United States has stopped weapons deliveries to Ukraine — all programs are ongoing, and partners are discussing increasing assistance, according to Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President. He said any reports of a “freeze” in military support are manipulative and don’t reflect reality.
Podolyak told Kanal 24 that rumors about a US pause in arms sales stemmed from a series of inaccurate publications and have no factual basis. He said key programs — notably PURL — are operating normally, and procurement is not only continuing but being expanded with new agreements. Each partner nation, he added, is choosing its optimal format of cooperation with Ukraine: from national aid packages and production financing to participation in multinational initiatives.
Addressing claims about Italy, Podolyak said Rome has not exited any program and continues to support Ukraine in full. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, he noted, consistently backs Ukraine’s position, including in conversations with the United States. That’s why speculation about a halt in American deliveries appears illogical, he argued: the US is interested in a stable, growing European market where its defense companies hold strong positions.
Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to receive new support packages from partners worldwide — including non-NATO states. Australia has announced $63 million in aid, and New Zealand $8.7 million. Both countries plan to join a joint arms supply program, Podolyak said, underscoring the stability of international assistance.
The strategic key to long-term weapons supply, he argued, is a legal decision on frozen Russian assets - roughly $300 billion - which could fund arms procurement for Ukraine and Europe’s frontline states. He added that international resolutions - from the UN to the European Parliament - are already creating legal grounds to use these funds, since Russia is the aggressor and should bear financial responsibility.
Using the frozen assets would accelerate the rearmament of European partners — from Finland and the Baltic states to Poland - and allow Ukraine to obtain air defenses, missiles, electronic warfare tools and other critical capabilities faster, he said. That could mark a turning point toward military support that is stable and insulated from political swings.
During a December 2 session, Donald Trump said the US is no longer financially involved in the war in Ukraine. He argued that such an approach would help end the war.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that his country does not currently intend to participate in NATO’s program to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, as it awaits progress in peace talks.
