Sergiy Lavrov sent a letter to the USA: what he demanded from Zelensky.

According to ТСН: The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he called on him to influence the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

This information was reported by an investigation from The New York Times, which analyzes the first year of American President Donald Trump's policy regarding the war in Ukraine.

According to the publication, this step raised concerns among Donald Trump and his advisors. It became known from NYT sources that Trump’s team was informed that Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly did not coordinate this appeal. The U.S. administration viewed Lavrov’s actions as an attempt to demonstrate his influence over Washington.

Death by a Thousand Cuts: Blocking Munitions at the Border

Journalists also draw attention to the chaotic nature of military assistance from the new administration. In June 2025, a train with 18,000 artillery shells of 155 mm caliber, intended for the defense of Pokrovsk, was stopped a few miles from the Ukrainian border.

The order from U.S. European Command was issued on July 2.

"Deploy everything. Immediately"

These shells stood under Krakow for 10 days. American officials dubbed this practice "death by a thousand cuts" for the Ukrainian army.

Anti-Ukrainian Policy in the Pentagon

The publication states that in the Pentagon, under the leadership of Pete Hegseth, a "de facto anti-Ukrainian policy" has formed. The minister's advisors have repeatedly tried to suspend payments and deliveries under already approved assistance packages.

In particular, Hegseth ignored requests from General Christopher Cavoli regarding the unblocking of munitions. In some cases, the situation could only be corrected after intervention from media figures close to Trump, such as Fox News analyst Jack Keane.

The NYT investigation, which is based on 300 interviews with officials in the U.S. and Europe, describes Trump’s policy on Ukraine as extremely inconsistent: from secretly facilitating strikes on Russian oil refineries to publicly pressuring Kyiv to move towards negotiations.

This approach to military assistance and U.S. policy towards Ukraine may have serious consequences for security in the region. Support for Ukraine, especially amid the ongoing conflict, remains a significant aspect of foreign policy, and the actions of the Trump administration may influence future developments on the international stage. The question of the effectiveness of military assistance and political support for Ukraine remains relevant and evokes discussion among analysts and experts.