Ukraine arms freeze sparks GOP fury: Pentagon's pause catches Donald Trump allies off guard; target Colby
The United States' latest decision to halt some weapon shipments to Ukraine came as a surprise even to people usually in the loop on such matters, including officials from the state department, members of Congress, and some key European allies, according to Politico.
The halt was prompted by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby and a close group of advisers, who expressed concerns that some US weapons stockpiles were becoming depleted.
The unexpected decision on Monday sparked concern and frustration, even among leading Republicans, over the apparent perception that a single senior Pentagon official had such influence on the outcome.
Even President Donald Trump's allies expressed frustration over the decision, accusing officials like Colby, who conducted a review of US munitions stockpiles prior to the pause, of advancing the move without informing the rest of the administration or other stakeholders.
They pointed out that the decision to suspend weapons shipments to Ukraine appeared to be made with minimal coordination across the administration, following major reductions to the national security council that had significantly weakened its influence.
'I think it's all made by the DOD policy director, this Colby guy. We essentially don't have a national security adviser,' said Republican representative for Texas Michael McCaul.
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'I'm not even sure (Secretary of State Marco) Rubio was consulted on this one … There's internal division in the White House.'
The decision sparked confusion and a sense of shock in Ukraine, while also prompting concern in Europe over whether the US was beginning to retreat from its military backing of Kyiv, at a time when Trump seemed increasingly open to the idea of providing additional aid to help defend Ukraine against Russian attacks.
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a member of the house intelligence committee, wrote a letter to Trump on Tuesday requesting an emergency briefing from the White House and the department of defense regarding the suspension of military aid, which had originally been approved under the Biden administration.
One official said the Pentagon's move was uncoordinated and surprised the state department. According to two other officials, Pentagon leaders didn't consult the state department, the US embassy in Kyiv, or Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg's team before halting a shipment of critical weapons already in Poland.
Some members of the Joint Staff also opposed the decision, they added, reported Politico.
The White House and the state department rejected claims that the munitions pause took officials by surprise. 'This is false,' said a White House official. 'The president and top officials expect the DOD to regularly review aid allocations to ensure they are in line with the America First agenda.'
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