Key Points
- UK and Germany lead emergency NATO contact group meeting on large-scale US and European arms transfers to Ukraine
- Trump’s 50-day ultimatum for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire met with defiance from Vladimir Putin
- Russia launches over 300 drones in massive overnight attacks on Kyiv, with Ukraine retaliating with waves of drones targeting Moscow and other Russian cities
- Talks focus on rapid delivery of US-made Patriot systems and advanced air defenses, but no clear timetable yet for weapons shipments
- President Zelensky urges new leadership-level peace talks with Russia in Turkey; both sides signal interest but progress remains elusive
New Delhi: A pivotal NATO Defense Contact Group meeting, jointly chaired by UK Defense Secretary John Healey and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, was convened today to expedite the delivery of sophisticated US and European weaponry potentially including Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. The meeting, held virtually, also featured high-level participation from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, NATO chief Mark Rutte, and Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich.
The summit follows President Donald Trump’s newly unveiled plan for European partners to funnel US-made arms into Ukraine under a NATO banner, with payment and logistics largely coordinated by Europe. The bold initiative is directly linked to a 50-day deadline for Russia to accept a ceasefire or face sweeping sanctions on its economy and allies.
UK’s John Healey described it as a “moment of maximum opportunity” for Ukraine and NATO members to press Moscow diplomatically and militarily.
Intense Escalation: Russia and Ukraine Trade Massive Drone Strikes
The urgency of NATO’s deliberations is underscored by a fierce uptick in hostilities:
- On July 20-21, Russia unleashed a major overnight attack, launching 450 drones and missiles, hitting Kyiv and several western cities. Residential blocks, children’s daycare centers, and metro stations saw significant fire and smoke, with at least two killed and nine injured.
- Air raid alerts and missile warnings blanketed Ukraine, while fire broke out at key shelters and public infrastructure in Kyiv’s Darnytsky, Shevchenkivsky, and Dniprovsky districts.
- Ukraine struck back with its own swarm of more than 150 drones, aiming for Moscow and multiple Russian regions: airports faced chaos as dozens of incoming drones triggered mass cancellations and delays, forcing travelers to shelter for hours.
- The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted over 230 Ukrainian drones since Saturday morning, including many directly over Moscow’s airspace.
- These air campaigns mark a dramatic escalation in both scale and geographical breadth, targeting civilian and logistical infrastructure far from frontline combat zones.
Trump’s 50-Day Deadline: New Weapons, Old Tensions
President Trump’s new arms initiative ties enhanced weapon deliveries especially US Patriot and advanced air defense systems to a ceasefire ultimatum for Moscow. Under the plan:
- European countries send US or NATO weapons to Ukraine, then replenish inventories with US purchases.
- European allies pay for the hardware, as Trump aims to shift much of the direct burden away from Washington while still enabling robust Ukrainian defenses.
- NATO’s arms review is underway, but key allies like Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Greece are still weighing their own defense needs before parting with prized Patriots and other assets.
Despite Trump’s insistence that supplies could reach Ukraine “within days,” NATO and US officials confirm that, as of now, major transfers remain in preparatory stages without a concrete timetable.
Kyiv, Moscow Under Nightly Barrage
Neither capital has escaped the shadow of war:
- Kyiv endured sustained explosions from 2:16am to 5:00am July 21, with bomb shelters like Lukianivska metro station thick with smoke and families evacuating from damaged non-residential buildings.
- Moscow’s airports and railways were paralyzed by Ukrainian drone swarms, with five consecutive nights of aerial incursions disrupting civilian travel and public services.
Zelensky Calls for New Peace Talks Both Sides Hesitant
On the diplomatic front:
- President Zelensky formally proposed a new round of peace talks at the leadership level with Russia, to be hosted in Turkey next week.
- Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, has already sent an official invitation to the Kremlin. Zelensky insists that “the pace of negotiations must be increased” to reach a ceasefire, greater prisoner exchanges, and repatriation of Ukrainian children.
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Moscow received the proposal, with President Putin still “committed to peace,” but described negotiations as a lengthy and difficult process.
Previous rounds of talks remain mired in stalemate, often breaking down over territorial demands and conditions Ukraine has been unwilling to accept.
The Outlook: NATO’s Gamble, Unrelenting War
As the war enters a new phase of technological escalation and high-stakes diplomacy, both NATO and the warring sides face deep uncertainties. Success of Trump’s weapons plan and ceasefire ultimatum hangs on European unity and Moscow’s next moves, while the skies above Kyiv and Moscow thunder nightly with drones and missiles. For now, the hope for swift peace must contend with a reality of relentless conflict and the slow grind of negotiation.
