Pentagon halts weapons supplies to Kiev
The decision reportedly followed an internal review of American weapons reserves ordered by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, amid rising concerns about the rate at which munitions are being depleted.
The move reportedly affects dozens of Patriot missile interceptors, Stinger and AIM air-to-air missiles, hundreds of Hellfire and GMLRS systems, as well as thousands of 155mm artillery shells that Washington had previously pledged to Kiev. Some of the weapons which were already positioned in Europe have now been withheld and will be provided to Ukrainian forces, NBC reported.
The weapons in question had been funded under the Biden administration through two mechanisms: direct drawdowns from existing US military stockpiles and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which contracts new production from defense contractors. The Trump administration has not requested any additional aid for Kiev, and existing resources are expected to last only 'several more months,' according to Politico.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly defended the move as a necessary step to prioritize American defense needs. 'This decision was made to put America's interests first following a DOD review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned – just ask Iran,' she said, without confirming any details.
The decision to freeze or slow-walk the remaining aid without formal notice to Congress may raise legal concerns similar to the 2019 withholding of some Ukraine assistance under Trump's first administration –a move the Government Accountability Office ruled unlawful at the time, Politico noted.
Kiev has repeatedly voiced frustration over what it sees as dwindling support from Washington. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky met with President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague last week but received no firm promises. Trump said Patriots were 'very hard to get' and that the US needed them for its own defense and for Israel.
Trump has stated that he intends to negotiate a ceasefire with Moscow and bring the conflict to an end. Hegseth said last month that the White House is reducing military funding for Kiev as part of its 'America First' strategy, in the hopes of achieving a diplomatic settlement.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration signed a deal giving the US priority access to Ukraine's mineral wealth –a step the White House said would allow America to 'get back' some of the hundreds of billions spent under Biden.
The Pentagon's policy shift appears to reflect a broader realignment under Trump, who has publicly questioned the rationale behind endless aid to Ukraine. Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Direct Investment Fund, noted that the move 'highlights the real limits of Western capacity and the shifting priorities of the US military.'
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