Askold Lozynskyj
The Times of Israel reported:
“Israel has delivered a Patriot air-defense system to Ukraine, which has been operational for a month. President Volodymy Zelensky confirmed that the system has been installed and is currently in use. The Ukrainian President announced that Ukraine will receive two more Patriot systems in the fall. The Israeli Air Force has stated that it is decommissioning the Patriot systems, which will be replaced with more advanced air defenses. The US has also been involved in the transfer process, sending Patriot missiles from Israel storage sites to Poland for eventual delivery to Ukraine. The transfer of these systems marks a significant shift in Israel’s role in military assistance to Ukraine, especially following the cooling relationship with Russia.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged receipt of the one Patriot defense missile system from the State of Israel. He did not comment on the other systems to be delivered from Israel via Poland. There are rumors that several more are on route from European allies, specifically from Norway and the Netherlands. Germany has promised to deliver two more in 2026.
This news about the Patriots is particularly important because there are no substitutes for Patriots within the Ukrainian or European arsenal and America has announced that it will not be selling any in the near future.
Ukraine has asked the United States for Tomahawk missiles with a range of more than one thousand miles to help with Ukraine’s effort to bring the war on Russian territory. Reuters reported that on September 28, 2025, Washington confirmed it is examining the possibility of providing Ukraine with U.S.-origin Tomahawk cruise missiles, a move that would mark a significant shift with far-reaching operational and political consequences. The request, driven by Kyiv’s need to pressure Russian logistics and air power far beyond the front, would extend Ukraine’s ability to hold distant targets at risk and complicate Russia’s air-defense posture. Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump would make the final determination, underscoring the decision’s sensitivity and escalation stakes. So far Trump remains silent.
On the other hand, the record shows that since Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2025, Ukraine has not received any weapons directly from the United States.
As much as Trump’s peace efforts regarding Russian aggression towards Ukraine have been disastrous, America under Trump has signaled an epilogue as to constructive Ukraine-America relations. Certainly dialogue will continue but words will not help Ukraine prevail against Russia. Until Trump the US was Ukraine’s biggest aid and weapons supplier.
This opens a new era for Ukraine, albeit not by choice. That may change in a few years but for the moment Europe is Ukraine’s closest ally. The war has shown that Ukraine is certainly the strongest military power on the European continent, Turkey notwithstanding, since the bulk of Turkey’s military of some three hundred thousand is for internal use to shore up the Recep
Erdogan authoritarian and corrupt regime. That is what authoritarians do. Frankly, this is what is now happening in the United States. Internal use of the military is contrary to the very concept of a democracy.
There is a symbiotic relationship between Europe and Ukraine as well as mutual respect and reliance. Leaders such as Starmer, Macron, Meloni, Merz, Tusk and even Stubb of Finland have been very eager and accepting of Ukraine. Poland currently has a chauvinistic President but he will have to come around for the sake of Poland’s security. Outliers such as Orban of Hungary and Fico of Slovakia will come around because of pressure. The Czech Republic is currently in a bit of a quandary. In any event the United Kingdom, France and Germany carry the military might of Europe and these countries’ leaders and people are favorably disposed towards Ukraine for many reasons and perhaps, most significantly, their own benefit. Europe is being assisted by Ukraine in preparing for drones coming from Russia. That is a crucial component – mutual defense.
No matter who delivers the Patriot defensive missile systems, they are still American made and they will not be sold or delivered to Ukraine by America. Whether America sells Tomahawk or Barracuda missiles to Ukraine remains very much in question and the answer may be negative or at the very best dilatory. America has expanded intelligence sharing with Ukraine to cover energy spots on Russian territory, but has restricted the use of Atacms.
In conclusion, taking into account that Ukraine has not received any aid in any form or fashion from America since Trump took office, the current relationship between America under Trump and Ukraine can only be characterized as BETRAYAL.
September 30, 2025
