US confirms postponement of army assistance to Kiev

(MENAFN) The United States has officially paused its military aid to Ukraine to prioritize its own defense needs, according to US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker. Speaking to Fox Business, Whitaker emphasized that under the "America First" policy, the U.S. must ensure its own air defense capabilities are fully stocked before assisting others.

The move comes after multiple outlets, including Politico and NBC News, reported that the Pentagon has stopped shipments of several types of weapons to Kiev. The halted deliveries reportedly include dozens of Patriot missile interceptors, Stinger and AIM air-to-air missiles, hundreds of Hellfire and GMLRS systems, and thousands of 155mm artillery shells.

The decision follows an internal review of U.S. weapons stockpiles initiated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Whitaker stated that ensuring sufficient domestic air defense and battlefield readiness is now a priority for both the U.S. and its NATO allies.

The weapons in question were originally funded during the Biden administration, either through direct drawdowns from U.S. military reserves or via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which involves new contracts with defense manufacturers. No new funding requests have been made under the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump has previously questioned the ongoing flow of aid to Ukraine and made no new commitments during a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the NATO summit in The Hague. Defense Secretary Hegseth indicated last month that the U.S. is scaling back military support for Kiev in hopes of encouraging a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.

Ukrainian officials have expressed growing concern over what they see as waning American support amid escalating battlefield challenges.

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