The stakes are high! Donald Trump is considering lifting all restrictions on the Ukrainian military

The United States has not yet lifted all Joe Biden-era restrictions on Ukraine's military operations, but President Donald Trump is "seriously considering" to do so, two senior Western officials told a Kyiv Post correspondent in Washington.

"All previously imposed restrictions - whether they have already been eased or not - are currently being reviewed because the President [Trump] believes that the current status quo does not serve our common interests in bringing Russia to the table," one of the officials said, without offering further details.

Earlier on Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said there were no longer any limits on the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine by its Western allies, meaning Kiev could defend itself by attacking military positions on Russian territory. The Kremlin called it a “dangerous move”.

Merz's comments came after a third night of massive Russian drone strikes and missile attacks across Ukraine.

On Sunday, Trump criticized Putin, saying on social media that the Russian president “is “absolutely crazy... unnecessarily killing a lot of people”. In response, the Kremlin said Trump was showing signs of “emotional overload”.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped Trump's anger at Putin “will be translated into action”.

A Western official told the Kyiv Post on Monday night that Trump's final decision to “punish” Russia's support for Ukraine, as well as the next phase of support for Ukraine, will be discussed during meetings with German officials in Washington this week.

According to the source, German Foreign Minister Johann Vaddeful plans to visit the US capital in the coming days.

On Monday, Vaddeful told German news program Tagesschau that Putin "does not want peace, he wants to continue the war, and we cannot allow him to do that."

Vaddeful said that European partners are already preparing an additional set of sanctions. “There will be a reaction from the West, and I think from the United States,“ he concluded.

It is not yet clear whether Vaudeful plans to build on Merz's statement about Ukraine's long-range potential during his meetings with Trump officials this week, but military analysts such as Jorge Rivero, a Washington-based Russia and Ukraine expert, are already discussing the potential benefits of the move.

Rivero told the CoR that the possible easing of Western-imposed restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons represents a change in the operational and strategic landscape of the war.

“Easing restrictions could allow Kiev to target military facilities on Russian territory, including air bases responsible for launching “Geran-2” drones and strategic bombers that launch sustained strikes on Ukrainian cities,” he said.

“This policy shift could further empower Ukrainian forces to attack Russian command and control hubs, as well as logistical arteries deep inside Russia, with precision-guided munitions,” he added, the Ukrainian media outlet added.

“Previously, Western restrictions on the use of modern weapons effectively shielded critical Russian military infrastructure and supply chains from Ukrainian strikes.”

“Removing these restrictions could change this tactic, allowing Ukraine to disrupt the logistical and operational frameworks that support Russia’s military efforts,” Rivero said.

“This development is likely to complicate Russian operational planning and threaten the continuity of supply lines that support Moscow’s campaign of 2022 this way".