During a dinner last week in Évian-les-Bains, where the G7 summit was held, US President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he was impressed by Kyiv's recent military successes.
Ukrainian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have told the Financial Times they see signs that Trump is becoming more disposed towards stronger support for Kyiv and could be more inclined to put pressure on Russia to end the war.
They remain sceptical about whether the US president will keep his word, recalling that he has made promises in the past that he did not keep.
But after meetings between Zelenskyy, Trump and other leaders, the officials said they were cautiously optimistic that progress has been made on the supply of Patriot interceptor missiles and licensing for weapons production.
At last week's G7 summit, Trump was "hugely impressed and enthusiastic" about Ukraine's recent campaign of long-range strikes against targets deep inside Russia, two people familiar with the private discussions between the leaders said.
Zelenskyy said after the dinner that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had "responded positively to the issue of licences" for Patriot interceptor missiles for the first time.
European capitals have taken advantage of the apparent shift in Trump's views on the war, including his awareness that Russia's victory is not inevitable, to push for stronger support for Kyiv.
"When Ukraine is properly supplied, they can generate real operational effects. The Russian defensive lines are not impenetrable," one senior NATO military official said.
