The U.S. halted shipments of precision weapons and missile defense systems to Ukraine as the Pentagon fears America’s own stockpile may be running dangerously low, Politico reported Tuesday.
The shipments contained missile defense systems and other precision guided munitions such as the Patriot missile defense system, which is commonly used by the Ukrainians to shoot down incoming Russian attacks. The move to stop the shipments came from Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who has long advocated for a renewed U.S. focus on China and disengagement from other theaters.
“The Department of Defense continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end,” Colby said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “At the same time, the Department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving U.S. forces’ readiness for Administration defense priorities.”Â
The Patriot missile system is one of America’s most commonly used defense interceptor missiles around the globe, capable of shooting down incoming targets as far as 40 miles away.
Dwindling U.S. weapons stockpiles has long been a concern of foreign policy and defense experts, as the U.S. sent over a grand total of $66.9 billion worth of weapons systems to Ukraine between the start of the war in 2022 and March of this year, according to the State Department.
In June, the Pentagon redirected anti-drone defense platforms from Ukraine to instead serve U.S. bases in the Middle East.
Russia launched its largest aerial attack of the war against Ukraine on June 29, sending a barrage of 537 drones and missiles, according to an NPR translation of a Ukrainian Air Force statement.
“America’s military has never been more ready and more capable thanks to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s leadership,” Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell told the DCNF in a statement. “Our service members are fully equipped to deter against any threat, and the Senate’s recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill ensures that our weapons and defense systems are modernized to protect against 21st century threats for generations to come.”
The Russia-Ukraine war continues to drag on as the Trump administration pushes both sides to find a resolution to the war. Russia denied accusations from U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg that it is stalling peace talks, while Ukraine has insisted it needs continued U.S. support in light of fruitless negotiations.
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