Trump Weighs Boosting Military Aid to Help Ukraine Break Through Russian Lines

US President Donald Trump is considering expanding military support for Ukraine to help its armed forces achieve a breakthrough on the battlefield, according to some European officials.

The Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing European officials following the NATO summit that Trump’s noticeably warmer tone toward Ukraine marked one of the summit’s biggest surprises and left European allies cautiously optimistic that Washington may be shifting toward stronger support for Kyiv.

One official told the Financial Times that Trump had made additional US backing for Ukraine “clear” and was considering further measures to help Ukrainian forces break through Russian defenses.

The shift came after Trump met President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the summit, where he praised the improvement in their relationship and announced that Ukraine would receive a license to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.

“It’s hard to believe, correct, from the Oval Office to now... I think we’ve developed a very good relationship,” Trump said.

The newspaper contrasted the meeting with the leaders’ tense Oval Office confrontation in February 2025, when Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude and said Ukraine had “no cards.”

European diplomats interviewed by the FT linked Trump’s changing attitude to Ukraine’s recent battlefield performance.

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Putin Rejected Frontline Ceasefire Proposal, Rebuked Advisers – Reuters

Sources say the Russian leader dismissed advisers' proposal to freeze the war along current front lines as Kyiv's strikes hardened his position.

“Trump likes winners. And Ukraine, recently, has started winning,” one NATO diplomat said.

The report noted that Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, attacks on military logistics and oil infrastructure, and increased European financial assistance have strengthened Kyiv’s position in recent months.

Orysia Lutsevych, deputy director of Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme, said Trump’s decision could force Moscow to reassess its strategy.

“Trump might make this move to change Putin’s calculus that he can endlessly destroy Ukraine and compel him to stop the war,” she said.

She added that granting Ukraine the ability to manufacture Patriot missiles could eventually neutralize one of Russia’s remaining military advantages — ballistic missile attacks.

The FT also reported that Trump believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is coming under increasing pressure.

“We have a lot of pressure on President Putin. I don’t think he likes what’s going on,” Trump said, adding that Moscow’s conditions for ending the war appeared to be “getting a little bit better.”

Although Trump publicly criticized several NATO allies during the summit over defense spending and other issues, European officials said his shift on Ukraine became the defining outcome of the meeting.

Another official described Trump’s conduct during closed-door discussions as “decent and serious,” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer both welcomed what they described as a more positive and united atmosphere among allies.

The NATO summit in Ankara came as Ukraine has intensified long-range strikes against Russian military logistics, occupied Crimea and energy infrastructure while seeking additional Western military assistance.

Before arriving in Turkey, Trump criticized several NATO allies over defense spending and questioned aspects of US commitments to Europe. However, his tone changed after meeting Zelensky, with the US president signaling stronger support for Ukraine and suggesting Washington was prepared to deepen defense cooperation as Kyiv seeks to maintain momentum on the battlefield.