White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the decision followed a Department of Defense review aimed at evaluating US military assistance to foreign nations

By Titilope Adako

The United States has paused certain weapons shipments to Ukraine, citing the need to prioritise national interests and reassess military support, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the decision followed a Department of Defense review aimed at evaluating US military assistance to foreign nations.

She stated, “This move is to put America’s interests first.”

While the specific shipments affected were not immediately disclosed, reports suggest that air defence missiles, Patriot systems, precision-guided artillery rounds, and other missile systems are included in the pause.

Ukraine has not officially responded to the announcement, but Ukrainian MP Fedir Venislavskyi described the decision as “very unpleasant,” especially in light of ongoing Russian attacks.

“It’s painful, and against the background of the terrorist attacks which Russia commits against Ukraine… it’s a very unpleasant situation,” he told Reuters.

The move comes just days after Ukraine endured what it described as its largest aerial assault since the war began, involving more than 500 drones and missiles.

A US official told CBS News that the decision was prompted by concerns that America’s own military stockpiles are being depleted.

Still, Kelly insisted that “the strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran.”

US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby added that the Pentagon is providing President Trump with a range of military aid options, but is also focused on maintaining readiness for US strategic defence priorities.

The announcement follows last month’s NATO summit in the Netherlands, where US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump, when asked about providing additional Patriot systems, said US officials “are going to see if we can make some of them available.”

Reflecting on his meeting with Zelensky, he remarked, “We had a little rough times sometimes, but he couldn’t have been nicer.”

Earlier this year, Trump temporarily suspended military aid to Ukraine that had been approved by the Biden administration and also halted intelligence sharing.

Both decisions were later reversed.

In April, the US and Ukraine signed an agreement granting the US access to Ukraine’s mineral reserves in exchange for continued military assistance.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in over two years.

Macron urged a ceasefire and peace talks, while the Kremlin blamed Western policies for the war.

Putin, speaking previously at a forum in St Petersburg, reiterated his view that Russians and Ukrainians are “one people” and declared that “in that sense, the whole of Ukraine is ours.”

Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.

Russia has continued its slow advances, recently claiming full control of Luhansk and capturing areas in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region.

In a separate development, a Ukrainian strike on a Russian arms facility in Izhevsk more than 1,000km from the frontlines killed three people.

The factory was said to be producing drones and radar systems.

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