The Trump administration's decision to halt the transfer of certain missiles and ammunition to Ukraine has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans.
The Trump administration abruptly suspended shipments of some U.S. missiles and ammunition to Ukraine, prompting a wave of criticism from Republican lawmakers who warn that the move risks emboldening Russia at a key moment in the war as Moscow ramps up its summer offensive.
Politico writes about this.
Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chairman of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said he would “actively look at this issue.” The White House acknowledged that the Pentagon had frozen shipments of critical air defense weapons because of concerns about the decline of its own arsenal.
“We must build our own defense industrial base here in the United States while providing critical assistance to our allies defending their freedom from a brutal invading dictator. Not doing both is unacceptable,” Fitzpatrick wrote on X.
Both Republicans and Democrats see the weapons holdup as a violation of Trump’s promises. Although the hold was approved under Biden, Trump renewed his promise of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine at a NATO summit last week. When Politico first reported the issue on Tuesday, Kyiv immediately summoned a U.S. diplomat for an explanation.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said he would “very carefully” investigate whether the Pentagon’s aid freeze violates the Ukraine Assistance Act, passed by Congress in 2024.
“If you want him to come to the negotiating table in good faith, you have to have leverage and pressure on him, and that's going to be Lindsey Gramm's economic sanctions and the flow of weapons. If you take away the flow of weapons, yes, then you have no leverage with Putin to negotiate,” McCaul said.
Democrats, who pushed for Trump’s impeachment for withholding Ukraine funding during his first term, also criticized the aid hold. But some senior Democrats were slow to blame Trump himself. Instead, they pointed to Pentagon officials who were skeptical about further aid to Ukraine.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a prominent advocate of shifting U.S. military resources away from Ukraine to bolster Taiwan’s defenses. She argued that the pause undermines Trump’s commitment to NATO and called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also the White House national security adviser, to ensure that the strategy is implemented.
“The Trump administration's mixed messages undermine its own agenda to engage Putin in negotiations, and this move under Secretary Heggest's leadership will only make it more difficult to achieve a just and lasting peace. Now is not the time for fraudulent actions that undermine our national security interests,” Shaheen said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the rationale for the freeze “false and perhaps even disingenuous.” He said he and his colleagues in both parties were surprised by the news and that it would cause suffering for Ukrainians.
“They will lose more lives, more people will be maimed and wounded – more homes, hospitals, schools will be destroyed,” he said, noting that “the Russians… do not even pretend to attack military targets.”
Not all senior Republicans were equally concerned about the arms supply halt, however. Ken Calvert, a Republican who controls part of the Pentagon budget, said he thought the delay in arms deliveries to Ukraine might be justified. He said that this was because U.S. stockpiles were running low and Europe was starting to provide more aid.
“I don't know what they have in stock now, the Ukrainians. I'll find out,” he added.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said he had not been informed of the suspension of ammunition shipments but noted that the Trump administration “has done this several times.”
“I don't know if he paused it for any reason other than what they do on a regular basis. I have no reason to be upset about it until I know more,” Rogers said of Trump.
Trump allies on Capitol Hill defended the move. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-Fla.) said he had not heard of a specific delay but noted that there were “constant checks and balances” on what was being sent to Ukraine.
“You always want to make sure your supply line is running smoothly, but if you're constantly checking it, it keeps them on their toes. If you're not doing it constantly, then suddenly they're going to get confused when you actually check it. So I think ultimately it makes the system run smoother,” Mast said.
Let us recall that the US is suspending military aid to Ukraine for the second time in six months.
