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President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on July 12, adding afterward that Ukraine requires new steps in managing its defense sector. Zelensky clarified that his discussions with Umerov focused on "changes in state institutions," emphasizing that Ukraine "requires more positive momentum in relations with the U.S., alongside new steps in managing the nation's defense sector." Zelensky announced via his official Telegram channel that corresponding decisions would be made public soon.

The announcement comes amid broader speculation of significant personnel changes within Ukraine's govt. Earlier, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that Zelensky plans replace representatives in all G7 & G20 countries. Bloomberg reported on July 7 that Ambassador to U.S. Oksana Markarova who has held the post since 2021 slated for dismissal. On July 10, during a press conference in Rome, Zelensky confirmed he was considering appointing Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as Ukraine’s next ambassador to U.S.

Today we're getting into the recent changes around US and international support for Ukraine.  For the first time in his administration, President Trump has signaled a desire to increase military aid, Germany has released the Taurus long range missile, and the Coalition of the Willing reiterates their plans to put boots on the ground in Ukraine once a ceasefire is reached.  We look at the overall aid packages in the process of moving forward and recent Russian strikes into Ukraine.