As Ukraine’s allies gather for big anniversary, one key backer is absent

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked Rubio for “thoughtful” greetings, adding, “We will be glad to welcome you in Kyiv.”

Over the weekend, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and James Lankford, R-Okla., met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Blumenthal attended a ceremony Monday. Former Vice President Mike Pence and ex-special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg were also in Kyiv for meetings.

Kellogg was considered “too close to Ukraine” by Russian negotiators before he stepped down in December, NBC News reported last year.

The State Department and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why senior officials did not attend the anniversary events.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., center, and former Trump special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, left, during the Independence Day ceremony.Volodymyr Zelenskyy / via X

The United States was once Ukraine’s most important supporter,providing billions of dollars in military aid and sharing critical intelligence. But since Trump returned to the Oval Office in early 2025, significant new aid has ceased, with the U.S. selling weapons to Ukraine’s NATO partners to be transferred to Kyiv instead.

An analysis of how American aid flows have changed by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan U.S. think tank, showed that as of March this year, Congress has made available $195 billion in spending related to the war in Ukraine. Of the $195 billion, $164 billion came from five pieces of legislation, the last of which was passed in April 2024, according to the report.

In recent days, the U.K. and France announced they would share critical military technology to help Ukraine defend itself.

Britain has agreed to allow European missile manufacturer MBDA to release classified information on British-made components used in the SCALP long-range cruise missile.

With the information from the U.K., Ukraine will be able to establish local assembly lines to produce the missile, which shares British and French technology, according to Downing Street. Zelenskyy also said this weekend that France’s Macron has agreed to accelerate the delivery of the latest French equipment and missiles.

The European Commission also approved a further $7.1 billion in financial aid for Ukraine on Monday to procure new defense systems, such as air defense, missiles, ammunition and radars.

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