The White House has confirmed it is suspending key military shipments to Ukraine, marking a significant policy shift that could impact Kyiv’s efforts to repel Russia’s intensifying aerial assaults.
The move, which halts the delivery of promised air defence systems and other munitions, comes after a Department of Defense (DOD) review of U.S. global military commitments. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated that the decision was taken “to put America’s interests first.”
“This decision was made following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries,” Kelly said in a statement to AFP. She emphasised that the U.S. military remains strong, referencing recent strikes on Iranian nuclear targets as evidence of American readiness.
However, the suspension of aid—reportedly including missiles for Patriot air defence systems, Hellfire missiles, and precision artillery—comes at a critical time for Ukraine. The country is facing one of the heaviest barrages of Russian missile and drone attacks in the three-year-old war, while also experiencing growing shortages of advanced air defence systems.
The Pentagon has not directly responded to questions about the halted shipments, though a U.S. official speaking anonymously told Politico that dwindling stockpiles were a key factor in the decision.
Critics have voiced alarm over the shift. Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, said on X (formerly Twitter): “The Trump administration is even stopping delivery of Patriots? So disgusting and embarrassing as the leader of the free world.”
President Trump, who has recently taken a more active role in diplomacy surrounding Gaza and Iran, has pushed for renewed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. At a NATO summit in the Netherlands last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought clarity on future military support, but received only a non-committal response from Trump.
“We’re going to see if we can make some available,” Trump said when asked about Patriot missiles, adding, “They’re very hard to get.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air defences remain under strain. A Russian drone strike in Kharkiv killed one person and injured another on Tuesday, while Ukrainian drones struck the Russian city of Izhevsk—over 1,000 kilometres from the front line—in one of Kyiv’s deepest attacks to date.
According to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Ukraine spent $64.7 billion on defence in 2024—more than any other nation relative to GDP—but is still being outgunned by Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for fuelling the conflict, claiming Ukraine’s reliance on U.S. and European support ignores Russia’s long-standing security concerns.
The halt in U.S. support marks a stark contrast to the Biden-era approach. In 2022, then-President Joe Biden embraced Zelensky at the White House, announcing a $2 billion weapons package. Now, with Trump back in office and shifting focus to broader global diplomacy, Ukraine faces mounting uncertainty over future U.S. military assistance.
