Pentagon freezes some military aid to Ukraine, fearing depletion of supplies

This is reported by Politico with reference to sources in the Pentagon.

The decision was made by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby after an ammunition audit. The audit showed that the stockpiles of artillery shells, air defence missiles and precision weapons are critically declining.

PBS NewsHour correspondent Nick Shifrin reports that the United States has temporarily suspended the transfer of a number of critical missiles and munitions to Ukraine:

• anti-aircraft missiles for Patriot systems;
• gMLRS missiles for HIMARS and M270 launchers;
• stinger man-portable surface-to-air missiles;
• aIM-7 air-to-air missiles;
• 155 mm artillery shells.

The Pentagon stressed that it is not about a complete cessation of military aid, but about its temporary revision. The main goal is to strengthen the US defence capability against the background of the global growth of threats.

White House spokeswoman Anne Kelly said:

"This decision was made to put America's interests first following the US Department of Defence's review of the military support and assistance our country provides to other nations around the world. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains undeniable - just ask Iran."

The authors said the decision could have serious implications for Ukraine, which this week faced the most massive Russian attacks in three years of war. Over the weekend, Russia launched 477 drones and decoys, as well as 60 missiles. Of these, 249 targets were shot down, according to Ukrainian data, while the rest either reached their targets or were neutralised by electronic warfare.

The Pentagon's decision caused alarm among Ukraine's allies in the US Congress. Co-chair of the Ukrainian congressional caucus, Democratic Party representative Marcy Kaptur said, "American air defence systems, especially Patriot, are the backbone of Ukrainian defence. They save lives every day. If this decision goes into effect, Mr Colby will be responsible for the deaths of many Ukrainian military and civilians."

The authors emphasise that the reduction in supplies is not due to a change in White House policy, but to the Pentagon's internal assessment of its own resources. Despite the Pentagon's decision, US President Donald Trump said after a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in the Netherlands that he did not rule out new deliveries of air defence systems for Ukraine.

"The Ukrainians want anti-missile systems, and we'll see if we can provide them," Trump said.

He acknowledged that getting such missiles is now very difficult.

A Pentagon source said the agency had been separating munitions into priority categories since as early as February. It also discussed the possibility of diverting key stocks, including artillery shells and air defence missiles, to the defence of the US and Israel.

Experts say the decision shows how important ammunition and missile supplies are to the sustainability of the Ukrainian army.

"Air defence systems will not win a war on their own, but their absence can quickly lead to defeat," said missile defence expert Tom Karako of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

He noted, however, that even with funding, it is impossible to quickly increase production of critically needed missiles: "You can't just pick up and push a button."

This decision by the Pentagon is reminiscent of the situation in 2019, when the Trump administration froze funds allocated by Congress for defence aid to Ukraine, which was considered a violation of the Budget Control Act. If the current decision was made without notifying Congress, the Pentagon could face similar legal challenges.