The Pentagon has paused shipments of critical air defense and precision munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns that U.S. weapons stockpiles have fallen to dangerously low levels.
The move, driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, affects missiles for Patriot systems, Hellfire missiles, and precision artillery rounds, systems vital to Ukraine's defense against intensifying Russian aerial assaults. The decision, made in early June, is only now taking effect, News.Az reports, citing Politico.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the decision, saying it was made to "put America’s interests first" following a Department of Defense (DOD) review of global military support.
The halt comes as Ukraine faces its largest Russian missile and drone barrage of the three-year war. Over the weekend, Russia launched 60 missiles and nearly 500 drones and decoys, with Ukraine intercepting many but suffering losses due to depleted defenses.
President Trump, after a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in the Netherlands, did not rule out sending additional Patriot systems but warned, “They’re very hard to get.”
The Pentagon’s freeze has alarmed lawmakers. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) warned it could “result in the imminent death of many Ukrainian military and civilians.”
Experts say the U.S. military's increasing demand for Patriot MSE interceptors, along with prior heavy use of air defense munitions in conflicts like Yemen, has stretched supplies thin. Replenishment could take months due to production constraints.
The halt also raises legal questions if Congress was not formally notified, echoing the first Trump administration’s controversial 2019 freeze of Ukraine aid, which the Government Accountability Office ruled unlawful.
Despite the pause, the remaining stockpile of Biden-era aid is expected to support Ukraine for several more months.
