US pauses some munitions shipments to Ukraine, including air defense missiles, senior White House official says

WNN — 

The Trump administration is pausing some weapons shipments to Ukraine, including air defense missiles, following a review of military spending and American support to foreign countries, a senior White House official told WNN.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed off on the review, which the official noted had been underway for months. It was not immediately clear if military support provided to other countries would be affected.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said the decision was made “to put America’s interests first.”

Russia welcomed the decision, claiming – without providing any evidence – it was made because the US did not have enough weapons.

“As far as we understand the reason for this decision was empty warehouses, lack of these weapons in warehouses. But in any case, the fewer weapons are supplied to Ukraine, the closer the end of the special military operation,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a phone call, using the Kremlin moniker for Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine.

Some US officials insinuated the review of aid to Ukraine was related in part to the Pentagon’s push to focus on China and be prepared for potential future conflict in the Pacific — an issue prioritized by the Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby.

“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. 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,” Colby said in a statement on Tuesday.