US Lawmakers Call on Hegseth to Reverse Decision to Freeze Shipments to Kyiv
A group of Democratic lawmakers from both chambers of the US Congress on Thursday urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision to pause shipments of munitions and arms to Ukraine.
“This decision places Ukraine’s future in jeopardy, encourages Vladimir Putin, and sows doubt among our closest allies. We urge you to reverse this decision and redouble your efforts to support Ukraine as it fights for its future,” fourteen lawmakers, led by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), said in a joint letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The letter was signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congress members Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jared Golden (D-ME), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Austin Scott (R-GA), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH).
The lawmakers pressed Hegseth for information about the decision to freeze military shipments to Ukraine, highlighting strategic concerns that a pause in munitions could embolden U.S. adversaries and undermine trust among US allies.
The move came as the US President Donald Trump complained Thursday afternoon that the US provided “too many weapons” to Ukraine under the previous administration, his first public comments on the pause in some shipments as Russia escalates its latest offensive. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One for a flight to Iowa, Trump also suggested he wasn’t completely cutting off American assistance to Ukraine.
However, the Democrats in their letter highlighted the following munitions as reportedly being suspended: Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Interceptors, 155mm artillery shells, Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, Stinger MANPADS, AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles, AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles.
The legislators went on to add that while the Trump administration had repeatedly stressed the need to reallocate resources to the Indo-Pacific, Russia “remains the most immediate and pressing threat to our security, and that of our allies.”
“We recognize the threat our adversaries present in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East, and the need for deterrence. We also appreciate the need to maintain critical stockpiles of arms and munitions for our own use. However, the decision to halt shipments to Ukraine, reportedly to redirect them to other theaters, is a strategic mistake,” the authors said.
The lawmakers also emphasized the administration’s peace-through-strength approach, saying that it “requires us to use our strength.”
“Congress stands ready to provide you with the authorities and funding to replenish our munitions stockpiles to prepare for future conflicts. However, Ukraine’s fight for freedom is not hypothetical,” they noted, adding, “it is happening now and we must stand with them by providing the arms they need to defend themselves.”
The signatories of the letter requested Hegseth answer the following questions in writing and in a classified briefing by July 31st, 2025: “What arms and munitions initially scheduled for delivery to Ukraine have been paused as a result of this decision? Where are those munitions being redirected? Are other munitions scheduled to be redirected? If so, where are they being sent? Based on Department of Defense assessments, how long would Ukraine be able to maintain its rates of expenditure for those munitions before their reserves are exhausted?”
Source: Alex Raufoglu