This week, the administration of US President Donald Trump approved the sale of 3,350 Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) air-launched missiles to Ukraine. According to the US newspaper the Wall Street Journal, the $850 million arms package is largely funded by European countries and includes other items.
This deal comes just one week after the Alaska Summit meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of the most controversial meetings of the year. The tension was heightened by a dramatic US show of force in the form of a ceremonial corridor flanked by the world’s most powerful fighter jets, the F-22 Raptors, and a low-altitude flyover by the legendary B-2 bomber, which had previously crippled Iran’s nuclear programme.
This historic show was further supported by an aerial escort from the world’s most technologically advanced fighter, the F-35.
It is clear that the Russian president understood the message, but he has remained calm and has been dealing with the US president with restraint. According to the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to spell out Putin’s rejection of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Trump’s preferred timeline, and this has made Trump express his frustration with the current state of peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
From the outset, Trump has been cautious about approving the transfer of medium- and long-range offensive weapons to Ukraine, particularly ATACMS missiles launched from HIMARS systems and JASSM cruise missiles capable of penetrating Russian defences with ease.
However, the recent approval of new missile deliveries marks a significant shift on the Ukrainian battlefield. These missiles offer flexible capabilities: they can strike ground targets at ranges up to 450 km or intercept aerial threats such as drones and cruise missiles at ranges up to 250 km. This development coincides with the Ukrainian military’s announcement of its largest cruise missile to date, dubbed the “Flamingo” and boasting a range of 3,000 km and a warhead weighing one and a half tons.
The Ukrainian military thus appears to be preparing a balanced offensive and defensive operation. The newly approved American missiles represent a potent weapon that can be used to strike Russian command centres, operational headquarters, and logistical lines, potentially disrupting Russia’s current offensive momentum along the front lines.
These systems also offer the capability to target strategic sites and infrastructure that may affect the pace of Russian military operations. Ukraine is placing significant hopes on these weapons to achieve favourable outcomes that could strengthen its position in the negotiations with Russia. It is worth noting that Trump did not authorise the transfer of these missiles until after holding talks with both the Russian and Ukrainian sides, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Why is there such an urgent need for Ukraine to acquire these systems at this particular moment?
The answer lies in Russia’s demands in the negotiations: full control over all territories in eastern Ukraine, particularly Luhansk and Donetsk, and not just the areas currently under Russian occupation. Moscow also insists, with unwavering resolve, that Ukraine must never join NATO.
Over the past year, Ukraine has attempted to seize the towns of Kursk and Belgorod, but without sufficient combat momentum or effective firepower, Ukrainian forces failed to capture or hold those areas and eventually withdrew. Russia responded with a counteroffensive in the region, advancing along the Sumy Axis.
Ukrainian forces tried again in Belgorod but failed once more, prompting a Russian counterthrust into Kharkiv. Despite the intensifying battle on this northern front, it remains less severe than the eastern front, where clashes stretch across the entire line in Luhansk and Donetsk. The most critical breach has been occurring near Pokrovsk, while the southern front remains relatively stable, with continued exchanges of fire.
The current situation favours the Russian side, which strengthens its position in imposing terms during the ongoing negotiations with Ukraine. This creates an urgent need to shift the dynamics. Kyiv is expected to launch intense offensive campaigns in the coming period, once the newly approved missiles arrive, aiming to convince the US to adopt its demands and counterbalance the Russian leverage.
The goal is to secure credible guarantees that would thwart any future Russian ambitions to seize more territory. In this context, Trump has already floated the idea of providing air support, rather than ground troops, as part of a potential intervention to back a peace deal.
“When it comes to security, [the Europeans] are willing to put people on the ground. We’re willing to help them with things, especially, probably... by air,” Trump said in an interview with the US network Fox News’ Fox & Friends programme.
Trump also discussed Budapest as a possible venue for a summit involving Zelensky and Putin with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday, a White House official said.
Hungary is one of the few European countries that Putin could visit without fear of arrest on International Criminal Court (ICC) charges as Orban maintains close ties with the Russian leader. It is unclear whether Ukraine would accept Hungary as a venue, according to Reuters.
Developments over the next two weeks are expected to clarify the trajectory, but NATO, particularly its European members, appears to be pessimistic about reaching a swift and serious agreement to end the war. This pessimism could lead to further escalation on the battlefield, with both sides delivering more powerful strikes than before.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 28 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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