Washington has suddenly halted critical arms deliveries to Ukraine, raising serious concerns in Kyiv about the country's ability to withstand Russia's intensified summer offensive.
The White House has abruptly suspended shipments of several high-value weapons to Ukraine, raising serious concerns about Kyiv's defense capabilities as Russia intensifies its summer offensive.
The FT reports this.
The weapons seized include interceptors for the Patriot air defense system, precision artillery shells and missiles for F-16 fighter jets, according to senior US officials. The move is said to be motivated by concerns that the US military stockpiles are too low.
Washington’s decision worsens the situation for Ukraine at a highly volatile time, as Kyiv relies heavily on the weapons for air defense and frontline support. The halt in deliveries comes just three days after Russia’s largest combined missile and drone strike on Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion. The dramatic escalation has further dashed any faint hopes for a negotiated end to the war.
“We were counting on many of these systems because they were promised,” said a Ukrainian official involved in the military strategy, adding that it would expose civilian infrastructure to increased risk of attack and “significantly affect our planning.”
The suspended deliveries also include dozens of Stinger man-portable air defense systems, over 100 Hellfire missiles, AIM missiles for NASAMS and F-16 air defense systems, AT4 anti-tank systems, and about 250 rounds for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), which are used to destroy enemy aircraft.
The White House declined to confirm the specific weapons that had been stopped. The Pentagon continues to offer options for military assistance to Ukraine but is “examining and adapting its approach,” said Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of defense for policy. He dismissed the criticism as an attempt to “paint a rift [within the Pentagon] that doesn’t exist.”
The Ukrainian presidential administration, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not yet commented on the situation. Politico previously reported on the suspension of some weapons deliveries to Ukraine. The decision to withhold weapons was made in early June, but only now came into effect. According to the source, some weapons were already en route to Ukraine when they were returned.
Russia's aggression is growing
In recent months, Russia has made significant improvements to its Iranian-style attack drones, allowing them to strike deeper into Ukrainian territory with greater speed and lethality. Moscow has also ramped up drone production, straining Ukraine’s air defenses and forcing Kyiv to use increasingly rare interceptors.
In June, Russia launched a record 5,438 drones against Ukraine, up nearly 30% from March (4,198). According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia can now attack Ukraine with as many drones per day as it did per month a year ago.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that in the past year and a half, Ukraine has seen only two days without Russian missile and drone attacks. Russia often combines strike drones with cruise and ballistic missiles, further complicating the air defense effort.
“The absence of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles will lead to an increase in successful Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, which in turn will increase the number of civilian casualties,” said Viktor Kevlyuk, a military expert at the Center for Defense Strategies in Kyiv.
He also added that “the absence of GMLRS missiles will limit the ability to carry out missile strikes on targets deep in the operational front.” According to Kevlyuk, European and Asian sources can partially compensate for these reductions, but in the meantime, the Ukrainian army will have a much more difficult time.
US President Donald Trump has long called for Russia and Ukraine to agree to a cease-fire. But Russian President Vladimir Putin appears confident in his military's ability to continue bombing Ukraine from the air and advancing on the battlefield at its fastest pace since November last year.
“The decision to cut off critical aid to Ukraine is unlikely to lead to the ceasefire President Trump wants,” said George Barros, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.
It was previously reported that the pause in arms supplies to Ukraine announced by the administration of US President Donald Trump is an obvious signal of Washington's withdrawal from the war.
At the same time, the NYT notes that this is already the second pause in arms supplies since President Trump returned to office. In March, the White House suspended all military aid to Ukraine after a scandalous meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington.
