The Pentagon's decision to halt some arms supplies to Ukraine came as a surprise even to those usually well-informed in such matters - including members of Congress, State Department officials, and key European allies. This is reported by Politico, citing information from six informed sources, writes UNN.
Details
The unexpected move on Monday caused concern and disappointment, particularly among leading Republicans, as one senior Pentagon official, Elbridge Colby, allegedly had a disproportionately large influence on this decision.
The suspension - which the publication first reported - was initiated by Colby and a small group of his advisors due to concerns that US stocks of certain types of weapons were being depleted.
Even Donald Trump's allies expressed frustration and accused officials like Colby of pushing through the decision without properly informing the rest of the administration.
It was noted that the decision was made with minimal coordination within the administration after a large-scale reduction of the National Security Council, which once held great weight.
"I guess everything is decided by the Pentagon's policy director, this Colby. Essentially, we don't have a national security advisor," said Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas). "I'm not even sure [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio was aware... There's an internal split in the White House."
The sudden decision caused shock in Ukraine and Europe, and questions arose whether the US was not backing away from supporting Kyiv at the very moment when Trump seemed to become more inclined to the idea of further aid
Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), who is on the House Intelligence Committee, on Tuesday appealed to Trump to hold an urgent briefing on the pause in military aid supplies.
One US official stated that the Pentagon's decision was ill-conceived and caught even the State Department by surprise. Two other officials reported that Pentagon leadership did not consult with the US Embassy in Kyiv or with Special Representative Keith Kellogg's team before suspending critical supplies that were already in Poland.
White House and State Department officials denied that the pause was a surprise. "That's not true," a White House official said. "The President and top officials expect the Pentagon to regularly review the volume of aid, in accordance with America First policy priorities."
However, the same official could not clearly say when exactly the president learned about the decision.
Colby did not respond to requests for comment, but later stated: the Pentagon "continues to provide the president with broad options for supporting Ukraine" while "carefully reviewing the approach to ensuring US security."
During Friday's briefing for Congress, not a word was said about the pause in arms supplies, which further concerned lawmakers.
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are trying to find out the reasons for such a US move. Neither Ukraine nor the EU received a warning, sources say.
A phone call between Trump and Zelenskyy is currently being prepared.
The US is informing Ukraine about this today in Kyiv, and a conversation between Trump and Zelenskyy will be organized in the near future
Zelenskyy on Wednesday stated that Ukraine is trying to clarify the situation.
"One way or another, we must ensure the protection of our people," he emphasized.
Recall
The White House confirmed that the US is stopping the supply of some types of weapons to Ukraine due to the low level of its own military stocks. This decision, as explained by the White House, is related to the US Department of Defense's review of military aid to other countries.
Ukraine will have enough weapons stocks and missiles for Western systems until the end of summer, after which a critical moment may come. The cessation of Patriot, GMLRS, and AIM-7 supplies could lead to a loss of effectiveness of air defense and HIMARS.