White House explains Ukraine aid holdup: It’s pause, not pullback
White House Press Secretary reveals reason for halting aid to Ukraine (Photo: Getty Images)
The US has paused part of its aid shipments to Ukraine as part of a standard Pentagon review of military support to other countries, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during a briefing.
Reporters asked her why Washington made such a decision at a time when Russia is carrying out massive attacks on Ukrainian civilian cities.
“No, neither of those things is true. I'm happy to walk you through it. This was a standard review by the Pentagon of all weapons and all aid and all support that the US is providing all countries and all regions around the world, not just Ukraine,” she emphasized.
Leavitt explained that US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a review of weapons stockpiles upon taking office. The purpose of the review was to ensure that aid provided to other nations aligns with Washington’s interests.
The White House spokesperson emphasized that the halt in aid is only a temporary pause.
“It's a pause to review to ensure that everything the Pentagon is pushing out there is in the best interest of our military and our men and women in uniform,” she stressed.
Suspension of aid deliveries to Ukraine
On July 1, several media outlets reported that the US had partially halted military aid shipments to Ukraine. The White House explained that the move was necessary to protect US national interests.
However, just a few days later, US President Donald Trump announced that his country would continue supplying weapons to Ukraine.
There were also reports that the suspension of arms deliveries to Ukraine was an unauthorized initiative by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
At the same time, the US State Department stated that Kyiv had received advance notice from Washington about the halt in assistance.
