The White House has confirmed that the Trump administration has frozen a planned shipment of air defense and precision-guided weapons to Ukraine, citing a recent assessment of U.S. military stockpiles.
“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told reporters, adding: “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned—just ask Iran.”
The halt was first reported by Politico. It remains unclear whether the suspension will affect other scheduled deliveries or how long the pause will last. The Pentagon declined to provide further details.Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell praised the administration’s military posture, stating: “America’s military has never been more ready and more capable thanks to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership.” He referenced the Senate’s recent passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which aims to modernize U.S. defense capabilities.
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s policy chief, later stated that military officials are continuing to provide the president “with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine,” in line with his stated aim of ending the war.
In Kyiv, the announcement triggered immediate concern but also calls for caution. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied that the U.S. had cut off air defense support altogether, saying negotiations remain ongoing, including possible commercial purchases.
“America will not abandon its support for Ukraine in protecting civilians from Russian strikes,” Podolyak said on Ukrainian television. “There are enough anti-missile systems and missiles for them in U.S. warehouses.”
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense also responded, stating that it had received no official notification of any changes to the previously agreed-upon military aid packages. The ministry requested further clarification from its U.S. counterparts, emphasizing the importance of predictability in defense assistance—particularly in reinforcing the country’s air defenses.
Oleksandr Merezhko, a senior Ukrainian lawmaker and chair of the foreign affairs committee, described the reports as “concerning” but said he hoped the freeze was “some kind of technical delay.” A prolonged pause, he warned, could weaken Ukraine’s air defense posture and embolden Russia to intensify its bombardments.
The suspension comes shortly after President Trump said during a NATO summit in the Netherlands that the U.S. might consider selling more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine. “They do want to have the anti-missile, missiles,” Trump said at the time. “As they call them the Patriots, and we’re going to see if we can make some available.”
The Patriot system has played a crucial role in Ukraine’s air defense network since 2023, intercepting drones, ballistic missiles, and aircraft.
Russian forces have escalated their air campaign in recent weeks. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, June marked a record for Russian drone and missile launches, with over 5,400 drones and nearly 240 missiles fired at Ukrainian targets in a single month.
Despite growing uncertainty about future U.S. assistance, Washington remains Ukraine’s largest individual military donor. As of April 2025, the U.S. had provided approximately $130 billion in total aid to Ukraine since 2022, including $74 billion in military assistance, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The European Union collectively provided more aid—$157 billion in total—but slightly less on the military front.
Trump has consistently signaled his desire to scale back U.S. involvement in the war, both during his 2024 campaign and after returning to office. A previous week-long freeze in March 2025 affected all military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, and a $50 million aid package released in April came only after Ukraine agreed to a minerals-sharing deal with the U.S.
The Biden administration left office with $3.9 billion in Congressionally approved funds for Ukraine aid still unused. These funds were intended to allow quick deliveries from existing U.S. stockpiles.
Zelenskyy has said that U.S. assistance accounts for roughly 30% of Ukraine’s weapon supplies, while other estimates place it closer to 20%. Regardless, the U.S. remains a critical source of advanced weaponry unavailable elsewhere.