Media reports Pentagon pauses arms supplies to Kiev
(MENAFN) The U.S. Department of Defense has suspended the delivery of several categories of American-made weapons to Ukraine, according to reports from Politico and NBC News. The decision follows a review of U.S. military stockpiles ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, amid growing concerns about the rapid depletion of critical munitions.
The pause reportedly affects dozens of Patriot missile interceptors, Stinger and AIM air-to-air missiles, hundreds of Hellfire and GMLRS rockets, and thousands of 155mm artillery shells. Some weapons that were already staged in Europe will now be withheld from Ukrainian forces, NBC reported.
These arms were previously allocated to Ukraine through Biden-era mechanisms: direct drawdowns from existing Pentagon inventories and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which funds new purchases from defense contractors. However, the Trump administration has not requested further Ukraine aid, and current resources may last only a few more months, Politico noted.
Deputy White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly defended the pause, calling it a strategic move to prioritize U.S. national security. “This is about putting America’s interests first,” she said, without confirming specific weapons involved. She emphasized the continued strength of the U.S. military, referencing recent tensions with Iran.
Legal questions may arise over the Pentagon’s decision to slow or withhold aid without informing Congress—similar to a controversial Ukraine aid freeze during Trump’s first term, which the Government Accountability Office deemed unlawful.
Ukrainian officials have expressed frustration over declining American support. During last week’s NATO summit in The Hague, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky met with Donald Trump but received no firm commitments. Trump cited limited availability of Patriot missiles and U.S. defense needs, including support for Israel.
Trump has pledged to pursue a ceasefire with Russia and end the war, while Defense Secretary Hegseth recently described the aid reductions as part of an “America First” policy aimed at achieving a diplomatic resolution.
Earlier in 2025, the Trump administration secured an agreement granting the U.S. priority access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, a move described as a way to recoup previous aid spending.
Russian official Kirill Dmitriev commented that the aid freeze demonstrates “the West’s real limitations” and a shift in U.S. strategic priorities under Trump.
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