The US has halted some weapons shipments to Kyiv, the White House has said, as Russia’s war against Ukraine has intensified.
The decision was taken “to put America’s interests first” following a Department of Defense review of US “military support and assistance to other countries”, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on Tuesday.
The US has sent tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, leading some in the Trump administration to voice concerns that US stockpiles are too low.
US officials did not immediately say which shipments were being halted.
The Ukrainian government has not commented on the announcement, although Fedir Venislavskyi, an MP for the ruling party, said the decision was “certainly very unpleasant for us”.
“It’s painful, and against the background of the terrorist attacks which Russia commits against Ukraine… it’s a very unpleasant situation,” Veinslavskyi was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
Air defence missiles and precision munitions are understood to be among the weapons affected, according to Reuters. Officials told US media that the pause involved deliveries of Patriot air defence missiles, precision artillery rounds and other missile systems used by Ukraine.
The decision comes at a difficult time for Ukraine, which said it had endured its biggest aerial attack since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion at the weekend, from more than 500 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles.
The Pentagon’s move is based on concerns that US military stockpiles are falling too low, a US official told CBS News, although Anna Kelly stressed that “the strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned – just ask Iran”.
Separately, US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby said in a statement that the defense department “continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine”.
However, he added “the Department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving US forces’ readiness for Administration defense priorities.”