The United States has paused certain weapons shipments to Ukraine, the White House confirmed on Tuesday, citing concerns about dwindling US military stockpiles as Russia intensifies its assault on Ukrainian territory.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the decision followed a Department of Defense review of US military assistance to foreign countries and was made “to put America’s interests first.”
While specific details on the suspended shipments were not disclosed, air defence missiles and precision-guided munitions are believed to be among the affected weapons, according to Reuters.
The halt comes amid growing concerns within President Donald Trump’s administration that continuous arms support to Kyiv could undermine the US military’s readiness. An official quoted by CBS News confirmed that the suspension was driven by fears of US stockpiles falling too low.
“The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” Kelly added, referencing recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The announcement follows President Trump’s recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at last week’s NATO summit in the Netherlands. Although the two leaders appeared cordial, tensions have flared in the past.
“We had a little rough sometimes, but he couldn’t have been nicer,” Trump said, reflecting on their March Oval Office confrontation which led to a temporary pause in both military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Those suspensions were later lifted.
Asked by the BBC about whether Ukraine would receive additional Patriot air defence systems, Trump said:
“We are going to see if we can make some of them available.”
The Ukrainian government has yet to comment publicly on the latest aid freeze.
US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Elbridge Colby, said the Pentagon continues to present “robust options” to the President for assisting Ukraine, but acknowledged that the Department is now “rigorously examining and adapting” its approach.
“We aim to balance support for Ukraine with the readiness of our own forces and broader defense priorities,”Colby said.
In April, the US and Ukraine signed an agreement granting the US access to Ukraine’s mineral reserves in exchange for continued military assistance — a deal some observers now say could be strained by the latest weapons halt.
The announcement also comes as Russia has launched one of its largest aerial offensives since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Over the weekend, Russian forces reportedly deployed over 500 drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
On Tuesday, three people were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a factory in Izhevsk, over 1,000 km inside Russian territory, according to Russian officials.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron held a rare phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin — their first in over two and a half years. Macron reportedly urged a ceasefire, while Putin blamed the West for the conflict, accusing them of creating an “anti-Russian bridgehead” in Ukraine and ignoring Moscow’s security concerns.
Background
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the US has provided Ukraine with more than $75 billion in military aid, including advanced weapons systems, training, and intelligence. However, US domestic debate has intensified over the sustainability of such support, especially under Trump’s “America First” doctrine.
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