US defense secretary personally halted weapons to Ukraine
Reports of a halt in US military aid to Ukraine emerged earlier this week. US news outlets claimed that the items affected included Patriot missile systems, artillery shells, GMLRS rockets, and other munitions. Washington's envoy to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, has since confirmed the move, attributing it to concerns that continued military assistance to Kiev could deplete key munitions needed for US forces.
However, NBC reported on Friday, citing three unnamed sources, that a review by senior military officers had found that American stockpiles are not yet beyond critical minimums. The outlet claimed that Hegseth nevertheless halted the shipments in a 'unilateral step,' marking the third time he has done so since taking office. The previous suspensions were reversed following pushback from Congress.
NBC further suggested that none of the suspensions were coordinated in advance with lawmakers or the administration. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told the outlet that the justification based on readiness concerns was 'disingenuous,' suggesting that the decision reflected a broader agenda within the White House to end US aid to Ukraine.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has described the halt as part of a 'capability review,' stating on Wednesday that the US cannot 'give weapons to everybody all around the world.'
The White House has defended the pause, citing an ongoing Defense Department review. At the same time, US President Donald Trump also told reporters on Thursday that the US is still 'giving weapons' to Ukraine, but must also ensure its own military needs are met.
Military experts have noted in statements to the German tabloid Bild that if weapon shipments to Ukraine stop, Kiev could run out of key ammunition stocks by late summer. The halt could leave the Ukrainian military struggling to intercept Russian strike drones and make Kiev's US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers 'virtually useless.'
Moscow has welcomed the suspension of military aid to Kiev. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has suggested that the freeze could speed up the end of the conflict. 'The fewer missiles that arrive in Ukraine from abroad, the closer the special military operation is to ending,' Peskov said.
Russia has long condemned Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing they only prolong the conflict without changing its outcome and increase the risk of escalation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
No weapons for Kiev over Christian church persecution
Kiev's persecution of the country's largest Christian church is reason enough for Washington to halt military assistance to Ukraine, US Representative Anna Paulina Luna has said, pledging to personally oppose any future weapons shipments. The Florida Republican accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of banning the Orthodox Church in a post on X on Friday, apparently referring to ongoing actions against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) – the largest religious organization in the country. 'I can promise there will be no weapons funding for you,' wrote Luna, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. 'We are not your piggy bank,' she added, calling on Zelensky to 'negotiate for peace' instead. Oh man. The Ukraine bots are big mad about this one. 'It WaS OKaY bc IT waS Russian OrThODox.' 🤡 All of a sudden these pro-war shills are religion experts and also telepathic, as they are CERTAIN not one Christian went to those churches to worship God. Imagine if we did that in… Kiev has accused the UOC of maintaining ties with Moscow to justify its crackdown, although the church declared its independence from the Russian Orthodox Church in May 2022. Responding to criticism in the comments under her post, Luna added, 'The Ukraine bots are big mad about this one.' 'All of a sudden these pro-war shills are religion experts and also telepathic, as they are CERTAIN not one Christian went to those churches to worship God. Imagine if we did that in the States. Hypocrites,' she said. According to Ukraine Oversight, an official US government portal tracking aid disbursements, Washington allocated a total of $182.8 billion in assistance to Ukraine between 2022 and the end of 2024. In May, President Donald Trump expressed concern over what he described as billions of dollars being wasted on Ukraine aid. He said Congress was 'very upset about it' and that lawmakers were demanding answers about how the money was being spent. Earlier this week, the Pentagon reportedly halted shipments of certain weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, citing the need to review remaining stockpiles as part of Trump's 'America First' policy. Kiev's persecution of the canonical Orthodox Church has received limited attention from US politicians and public figures. In late May, American journalist Tucker Carlson raised the issue in an interview with former Ukrainian MP Vadim Novinsky. 'I think very few Americans understand the degree to which the Ukrainian government under Zelensky has persecuted the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,' Carlson said during the broadcast. Years of state pressure on the church have included the arrests of clergymen and raids on monasteries, including a high-profile incident at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where religious relics are kept. Last year, Zelensky signed legislation allowing the government to ban religious organizations deemed affiliated with so-called 'aggressor' states, effectively targeting the UOC. Earlier this week, he also stripped the church's senior bishop, Metropolitan Onufry, of his citizenship, citing his previously acquired Russian passport.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
US fighter jets intercept suspicious plane over Trump's golf club
US fighter jets intercepted multiple civilian aircraft that violated restricted airspace over President Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Saturday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has confirmed. The most significant incident occurred at approximately 2:39pm local time, when a general aviation plane entered a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone activated due to President Trump's presence in the area. NORAD scrambled a fighter aircraft, which performed a standard 'headbutt maneuver' to alert the pilot and safely escort the aircraft out of the restricted zone. The interception was part of a broader alert response, as Saturday saw a total of five separate TFR violations in the Bedminster area – including three prior to the 'headbutt' incident and one more later in the day. NORAD did not release additional details about the aircraft or pilots involved. NORAD intercepted a plane violating a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over Bedminster, NJ on July 5, 2025. Pilots, a reminder to check FAA NOTAMs before you fly! ➡️ Fly informed. Fly safe. #NORAD#AviationSafetyhttps:// 'Pilots, a reminder to check FAA NOTAMs before you fly!' NORAD posted on X, referring to Notice to Air Missions bulletins issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency highlighted FAA NOTAMs 1353, 1358, 2246 and 2247 as especially relevant for flights near Bedminster. The command warned that pilots are responsible for verifying TFR zones before takeoff and emphasized that its layered air defense system – comprising radars, satellites and fighter jets – remains active in detecting and responding to unauthorized incursions. Trump has made Bedminster one of his main residences since returning to office in January, with the FAA frequently designating restricted airspace in the vicinity whenever the president is present. Pilots who violate TFR zones risk being intercepted, fined, questioned by authorities or having their licenses suspended.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
German MPs demand more money for Ukraine
A group of German lawmakers from the Green Party has called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz to urgently increase military aid to Ukraine, warning that the current level of funding is insufficient in light of a slowdown in US arms deliveries, according to a letter obtained by Bild. The letter, signed by Bundestag deputies Robin Wagener, Sara Nanni, Sebastian Schafer and Anton Hofreiter, criticized the federal government's recently announced increase in military assistance from €7.1 billion to €8.3 billion. The lawmakers pointed to the US decision to pause certain weapons shipments to Kiev as a critical factor, arguing that Berlin should raise the figure to at least €8.5 billion and commit to maintaining that level through 2029. The Green MPs, who have been among Kiev's most vocal supporters in the Bundestag, reportedly said the government still had room to maneuver within the approved budget framework and argued that Germany's constitutional limits on debt spending could be sidestepped through special exemptions. Berlin has already sent Kiev almost €16 billion, including €11.2 billion in direct weapons supplies since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, making it the largest single state donor after the US and UK, according to Germany's Kiel Institute. The US reportedly paused deliveries of various critical munitions, including Patriot and Hellfire missiles, GMLRS rockets and 155mm artillery shells, under the Trump administration's 'America First' policy. The exact scale of the winddown remains unclear, as President Trump has insisted the US is still 'sending arms' to Kiev – while ensuring America retains enough stockpiles to defend itself and its allies. Chancellor Merz recently announced plans to increase Germany's overall military budget to €153 billion by 2029, up from €86 billion this year, and pledged to allocate 3.5% of GDP to defense under a new NATO framework to counter what he called a direct threat from Russia. The Kremlin has condemned the EU's militarization efforts and arms transfers to Kiev, describing the conflict as a NATO-led proxy war. President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Western concerns about Russian aggression as 'nonsense,' accusing NATO of using fear to justify ballooning military budgets and blaming the bloc's expansion and 'aggressive behavior' for fueling the crisis. Critics of Germany's government policy warn that continued arms spending could strain the national budget and further damage German industry, already suffering from rising energy costs, fallout from anti-Russia sanctions and the ongoing tariff standoff with the US. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party – which came second in the February elections but was excluded from forming a coalition – has called for an immediate halt to weapons shipments to Kiev and a resumption of energy cooperation with Moscow. On Friday, party leaders urged Merz to initiate direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pursue a negotiated settlement to the conflict to safeguard Germany's long-term national interests. The Kremlin has stated that it remains open to dialogue with Berlin, but stressed that it is up to the German leadership to take the first step, having previously cut ties. Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron – who had previously supported deploying French troops to Ukraine but recently softened his stance – held a phone call with Putin, their first direct contact in nearly three years.
