The White House confirmed Tuesday that the United States has paused certain weapons deliveries to Ukraine, citing concerns over depleting domestic military stockpiles as Russia ramps up its offensive across Ukrainian territory.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the move came after a Department of Defense assessment of U.S. military aid programs, and emphasized that the decision was made “to put America’s interests first.”
Although the administration did not disclose which weapons were affected, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters the suspension likely includes air defense missiles and precision-guided munitions — systems critical to Ukraine’s front-line defense.
Officials within President Donald Trump’s administration have expressed growing unease about the strain ongoing support for Kyiv places on U.S. military readiness. A senior defense official told CBS News that the freeze was driven by “increasingly urgent” concerns over the potential erosion of America’s own defense capabilities.
“The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” Kelly added, referencing the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The announcement comes days after President Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in the Netherlands. Though the leaders appeared cordial in public, their relationship has been punctuated by tension — most notably during a confrontational Oval Office meeting in March that briefly halted U.S. military aid and intelligence cooperation.
Reflecting on that encounter, Trump said last week, “We had a little rough sometimes, but he couldn’t have been nicer.”
The latest pause in military shipments adds a new layer of uncertainty to Ukraine’s war effort as it continues to rely heavily on Western support amid escalating Russian aggression.
