Trump envoy arrives in Kyiv as U.S. pledges Patriot missiles to Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump’s peculiar envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, arrived successful Kyiv connected Monday (July 14, 2025), a elder Ukrainian authoritative said, arsenic anticipation grew implicit a imaginable displacement successful the Trump administration’s argumentation connected the much than three-year war.

Mr. Trump past week teased that helium would marque a “major statement” connected Russia connected Monday (July 14, 2025). Mr. Trump made rapidly stopping the warfare 1 of his diplomatic priorities, and helium has progressively expressed vexation astir Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unbudging stance connected U.S-led bid efforts.

Mr. Putin “talks bully and past helium bombs everybody,” Mr. Trump said precocious connected Sunday (July 13, 2025), arsenic helium confirmed the U.S. is sending Ukraine severely needed U.S.-made Patriot aerial defence missiles to assistance it fend disconnected Russia’s intensifying aerial attacks.

Russia has dispersed panic successful Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine’s aerial defences are struggling to counter. June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past 3 years, with 232 radical killed and 1,343 wounded, the U.N. quality rights ngo successful Ukraine said connected Thursday (July 10, 2025). Russia launched 10 times much drones and missiles successful June than successful the aforesaid period past year, it said.

That has happened astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic Russia’s bigger service is making a caller effort to thrust backmost Ukrainian defenders connected parts of the 1,000-km (620-mile) beforehand line.

A apical state of Mr. Trump, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said connected Sunday (July 13, 2025) that the struggle is nearing an inflection constituent arsenic Mr. Trump shows increasing involvement successful helping Ukraine combat backmost against Russia’s full-scale invasion. It’s a origin that Mr. Trump had antecedently dismissed arsenic being a discarded of U.S. payer money.

Also Read: ​War and talks | On Russia and Ukraine

“In the coming days, you’ll spot weapons flowing astatine a grounds level to assistance Ukraine support themselves,” Mr. Graham said connected CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He added, “One of the biggest miscalculations (Russian President Vladimir) Mr. Putin has made is to play Mr. Trump. And you conscionable watch, successful the coming days and weeks, there’s going to beryllium a monolithic effort to get Mr. Putin to the table.”

Also, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was owed successful Washington connected Monday (July 14, 2025) and Tuesday (July 15, 2025). He planned to clasp talks with Mr. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, arsenic good arsenic members of Congress.

Talks during Mr. Kellogg’s sojourn to Kyiv volition screen “defence, strengthening security, weapons, sanctions, extortion of our radical and enhancing practice betwixt Ukraine and the United States,” said the caput of Ukraine’s statesmanlike office, Andrii Yermak.

“Russia does not privation a cease fire. Peace done spot is President Donald Trump’s principle, and we enactment this approach,” Mr. Yermak said.

Russian troops conducted a combined aerial onslaught astatine Shostka, successful the bluish Sumy portion of Ukraine, utilizing glide bombs and drones aboriginal Monday (July 14, 2025) morning, sidesplitting 2 people, the determination prosecutor’s bureau said. Four others were injured, including a 7-year-old, it said.

Overnight from Sunday (July 13, 2025) to Monday (July 14, 2025), Russia fired 4 S-300/400 missiles and 136 Shahed and decoy drones astatine Ukraine, the aerial unit said. It said that 61 drones were intercepted and 47 much were either jammed oregon mislaid from radars mid-flight.

The Russian Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said its aerial defences downed 11 Ukrainian drones implicit Russian regions connected the borderline with Ukraine, arsenic good arsenic implicit the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea.