The Trump administration has temporarily frozen a shipment of military aid to Ukraine, including missiles intended for U.S.-made air defense systems.
A senior administration official, speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity, said the pause is part of a broader review of foreign aid spending. The review was reportedly approved directly by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
On Wednesday, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly called it a “necessary decision” that “reflects the administration’s commitment to putting American interests first.”
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said it had not received formal notification of any changes, but officials in Kyiv are on high alert. President Volodymyr Zelensky, apparently caught off guard, said in a social media post his country is “ready to purchase American systems to protect our cities,” which he said are facing near-daily Russian strikes.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak was more blunt, calling the move “inhumane,” especially since it halts “the delivery of missiles, particularly for the Patriot systems that protect millions of Ukrainian civilians.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summoned John Ginkel, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, for an urgent meeting. In a statement, the ministry warned that “any hesitation or delay in strengthening our defensive capabilities encourages the aggressor to continue the war.”
A Ukrainian military official quoted by AFP said the country’s air defenses would “collapse” without U.S. support. “Europe is doing everything it can, but without U.S. ammunition, holding on will be extremely difficult,” the official said.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the European Union surpassed the U.S. in total military aid to Ukraine for the first time in April — $84 billion compared to Washington’s $76 billion.
While Kyiv voiced alarm, Moscow welcomed the decision. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tied the suspension to what he claimed was a depletion of U.S. stockpiles. “As far as we know, their reserves are exhausted,” he said. “In any case, the fewer weapons reach Kyiv, the closer we get to concluding the special military operation” – using the Kremlin’s official periphrasis for its war of aggression against Ukraine.
In March, Trump had altrady ordered a full freeze on military aid after a heated Oval Office exchange with Zelensky. Deliveries resumed a week later.
At last week’s NATO summit in The Hague, the President had signaled potential flexibility on renewing Patriot missile shipments, which now form the core of Ukraine’s defense against Russian ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
