The Trump administration has halted the delivery of certain military firepower to Ukraine over concerns that US stockpiles were dropping too low.
The White House on Tuesday confirmed that 155mm artillery rounds, Patriot air defense, Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, Stinger, AIM-7 and Hellfire missiles bound for Ukraine will not be shipped following a Pentagon assessment.
“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a [Department of Defense] review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Post.
“The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” she added.
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby reportedly made the decision in early June to withhold the military aid approved during the Biden administration after conducting a review of the DOD’s shrinking US munition and missile stockpiles, according to Politico.
The weapons being held back include missiles and munitions fired from the ground and in the air, via F-16 fighter jets, and used to thwart Russian drone attacks that threaten civilian lives.
“The Department of Defense continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end,” Colby said in a statement. “At the same time, the Department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving US forces’ readiness for Administration defense priorities.”
“Department of Defense leadership works as a cohesive and smoothly-running team under the leadership of Secretary of Defense Hegseth,” he added. “This is yet another attempt to portray division that does not exist.”
The Pentagon official also asserted that US armed forces are “the envy of the world and only growing stronger.”
“America’s potential adversaries know all of this and are acting accordingly,” he added.
Colby was confirmed by the Senate in April despite concerns from some lawmakers about his lukewarm support for Ukraine.
The 45-year-old Pentagon official has previously called for lessening US military aid shipments to Ukraine in order to prioritize growing threats from China.
The halt in military aid comes days after Ukraine said Russia launched its biggest aerial attack since the start of the war.
Over the weekend, Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said. Of these, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
President Trump noted at last week’s NATO summit in the Netherlands that Ukraine was seeking “anti-missile missiles” from the US and that he would “see if we can make some available.”
“They’re very hard to get,” Trump cautioned.
