The paused shipments of air defense missiles and precision munitions followed a review of the Defense Department’s munitions stockpiles and worries that U.S. armaments stockpiles were dwindling.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby was reportedly the main driver in the decision, which came in early June.
“If this is true, then Mr. Colby, who opposed military assistance to Ukraine and even refused to acknowledge that Russia’s actions amounted to an ‘invasion’ of Ukraine in his confirmation hearing, is taking action that will surely result in the imminent death of many Ukrainian military and civilians,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) posted Wednesday to social platform X.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) called Colby and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “rogue actors” who are deviating from President Trump’s stance from a week ago, when he said the U.S. was “going to see if we can make some” air defense missiles available for Kyiv.
Ukraine’s few stalwart GOP allies also raised alarms that actions by DOD are undermining Trump’s leverage in pushing for Russia to come to a ceasefire, and criticizing how funds appropriated by Congress are being diverted.
“I led the effort to pass the emergency wartime supplemental to ensure Ukraine finally had the weapons it needed to repel Russia’s [vicious] and unprovoked attack,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, requested an emergency briefing from the White House on the status of defensive arms transfers to Ukraine.
“This comes as Russia launches the largest aerial assault since the war began, firing over 500 weapons at civilian targets in a single week,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.
The delayed lethal aid has set off alarm bells in Ukraine, which has been hit with intensifying Russian airstrikes and battlefield advances.
The paused shipment prompted Ukraine to call in the acting U.S. envoy to Kyiv to press on the importance of continuing military aid from Washington, Reuters reported.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
