US State Dept and Pentagon Downplay Weapons Freeze to Ukraine as Isolated ‘Situation’
The Trump administration on Wednesday downplayed reports about its latest decision to pause certain weapon shipments to Ukraine due to concerns that US stockpiles are running too low.
Those weapons were believed to include Patriot anti-air missiles, among other ammunition, that are crucial for defending Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure from Russian missile attacks.
“Our commitment hasn’t changed,” State Department’s spokesperson Tammy Bruce told a daily briefing when pressed by Kyiv Post’s correspondent about weakening Ukraine’s defensive capabilities despite US President Donald Trump’s stated goal to “end the killing” in Ukraine.
Trump, she went on to recall, had “specifically referred to the nature of the continued slaughter” calling the targeting of civilian areas “unacceptable.”As for Washington’s pausing some weapons shipments to Ukraine, Bruce said, “this is not a cessation of us assisting Ukraine… This is one aspect, one situation, one event that has been changed”.
“There are multiple robust other options and efforts regarding the Ukrainian situation with weapons,” she emphasized without offering further details.
In the meantime, the spokesperson went on to assure that the move would “not going to be factor” in the battlefield on in the Russians’ behavior because “we haven’t paused sending weapons to Ukraine”
“President [Trump] has also indicated his remaining commitment regarding Patriot missiles,” she emphasized.
Ukraine said on Wednesday that the halt of some US weapons shipments represents a blow to its efforts to fend off Russia’s attacks.
Kyiv summoned the deputy chief of the US embassy to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, saying that the move would “encourage” Russia.
At the Pentagon, spokesman Sean Parnell told reporters that they were reviewing weapons deliveries to allies around the world. including Ukraine.
“A capability review is being conducted to ensure US military aid aligns with our defense priorities, and we will not be providing any updates to specific quantities or types of munitions being provided to Ukraine, or the timelines associated with these transfers,” the Defense Department spokesperson said.
He went on to add, “we see this as a commonsense pragmatic step … to evaluate what munitions are sent and where. But we want to be very clear about this last point. Let it be known that our military has everything that it needs to conduct any mission anywhere, anytime, all around the world.”
The US has so far provided Ukraine over $66 billion worth of weapons and military assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022
Source: Alex Raufoglu