WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump was reportedly caught off guard last week when the Pentagon abruptly announced a pause in U.S. weapons deliveries to Ukraine — a decision that blindsided not only Ukrainian officials but also key figures within Trump’s own administration. According to three individuals familiar with the situation, the move had not been properly coordinated with the White House, sparking internal frustration.
The Pentagon initially halted shipments of critical weaponry — including Patriot air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery, and Hellfire missiles — citing concerns over dwindling U.S. munitions stockpiles. The decision came at a particularly vulnerable time for Ukraine, which continues to endure escalating Russian air assaults in a war now in its fourth year.
Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that there was notable internal dissent within the Pentagon before the pause was made public. The policy shift was reportedly led by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby and faced pushback from some senior military leaders.
One insider said Trump was caught “flat-footed” by the announcement, suggesting the president had not been adequately briefed. While the White House declined to comment on Trump’s reaction, Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson defended the process, saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had consulted with the president before acting.
“It is the Secretary of Defense’s responsibility to provide options and recommendations to the commander-in-chief,” Wilson said. “This pause was part of a larger effort to evaluate stockpiles and plan responsibly while staying aligned with the president’s ‘America First’ vision.”
Trump Reverses Course
Just days after the Pentagon’s announcement, Trump reversed the pause during a Cabinet meeting on Monday evening, stating that the U.S. must send more weapons to Ukraine. “They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now,” he said.
On Tuesday, when pressed by a reporter to identify who authorized the initial pause, Trump deflected. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?” he snapped, underscoring lingering confusion within the administration.
The Pentagon later confirmed that weapons shipments would resume under Trump’s directive. Spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Department of Defense remains committed to giving Trump “robust options” to support Ukraine while advancing U.S. strategic priorities.
Still, it remains unclear what specific munitions will be included in the resumed deliveries. Trump emphasized that the focus would be on “defensive” systems, as the U.S. seeks to help Ukraine hold the line without escalating the conflict further.
Tensions with Putin
Trump also took a sharper tone toward Russian President Vladimir Putin than usual. Speaking during the Cabinet meeting, he accused Putin of stalling peace efforts and misleading U.S. negotiators. “We get a lot of bull—- thrown at us by Putin,” Trump said. “He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Trump’s frustration follows a recent phone call between the two leaders, which reportedly yielded little progress. Though Trump has long expressed interest in ending the war swiftly, talks remain stalled, and his administration has floated the idea of imposing stricter economic measures on Russia.
Among those proposals is a dramatic increase in tariffs on imports from countries continuing to purchase Russian oil. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Trump has given him the green light to push forward with a bill that would place a 500% tariff on goods from those nations — a move with serious implications for countries like China and India. Trump confirmed Tuesday that he is “looking at it very strongly.”
Pentagon Still Assessing Stockpiles
Despite Trump’s order to resume shipments, the Pentagon continues to assess its current inventory. On Tuesday, military services and combatant commands were still compiling data on munitions levels. A U.S. official described an internal “stoplight” chart being used to categorize supplies — green for ready, yellow for limited, and red for dangerously low.
That review began last week and found some weapons could be safely shipped while others had dropped to levels considered unsustainable. For example, Patriot missile stocks are tracked closely but become harder to trace once transferred to regional commands like U.S. Central Command.
The majority of U.S. military aid to Ukraine has come from Army stockpiles, particularly 155mm artillery shells and Patriot air defense systems. However, efforts to ramp up production of these high-demand munitions have fallen behind schedule. Army spokesperson Steve Warren said the service now expects to meet its goal of producing 100,000 artillery shells per month by 2026 — a full year later than originally planned.
Increasing Patriot missile output has also proved challenging, Warren added.
Political Reactions
The initial pause in aid drew sharp criticism on Capitol Hill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) welcomed the reversal and urged Trump to ignore the more isolationist voices in his administration.
“This time, the President must resist calls to limit assistance to Ukraine only to defensive weapons,” McConnell said. “And he should not allow talk of stockpile shortages to stand in the way unless there’s real investment in rebuilding our munitions production capacity.”
As the war drags on and Ukraine faces mounting challenges on the battlefield, the Biden administration’s eventual handling of arms transfers — particularly in light of domestic supply issues — will remain a delicate balancing act between national defense readiness and global commitments. Trump’s latest move appears to prioritize Ukraine’s immediate needs, but the debate within his administration is far from settled.
