White House Confirms Temporary Halt in U.S. Military Deliveries to Ukraine
The United States has halted shipments of certain air defense missiles and precision-guided munitions to Ukraine due to growing concerns about the depletion of its own weapons stockpiles.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Politico and CBS News.
The decision followed an internal review led by Elbridge Colby, the new head of policy at the Department of Defense.
The review flagged critically low reserves of artillery shells, air defense munitions, and precision-guided weaponry – supplies that have been heavily relied upon in supporting Ukraine’s war effort since 2022.
The weapons currently withheld include missiles for Patriot systems, precision-guided artillery shells, Hellfire missiles, and air-to-ground munitions intended for Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets and drones.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the freeze was originally approved in early June but has only now begun to take effect.
One senior official said the Pentagon has, since February, been ranking munitions by priority, as U.S. forces also face demand for air defense systems in regions like the Middle East, particularly in response to threats in Yemen.
A confidential memorandum detailing the suspension of certain weapons transfers to Ukraine was reportedly prepared months ago for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. However, the decision remained unexecuted for some time due to leadership changes within the Pentagon.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the shift in policy on Tuesday, emphasizing that the move was part of a broader effort to reassess U.S. global defense obligations.
“This decision was made to put America's interests first,” Kelly said. “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned – just ask Iran.”
The timing of the pause is notable. In June, Ukrainian officials submitted a list of urgently needed military equipment to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, expressing a willingness to purchase arms directly from the United States.
As The Gaze reported earlier, on June 25, at the NATO summit in The Hague, President Donald Trump told reporters he would consider approving the delivery of additional Patriot batteries to Ukraine, but only after a full review.