US Halts Arms Shipments to Ukraine Despite Sufficient Stockpiles, Pentagon Faces Internal Pushback

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has unilaterally halted a shipment of weapons to Ukraine, despite internal assessments showing the move would not compromise U.S. military readiness, NBC News reported, citing multiple sources.

The shipment was delayed earlier this week over concerns that continued military aid to Ukraine could deplete U.S. stockpiles.

However, three officials familiar with the matter said senior military officers had concluded that the aid package would not reduce ammunition inventories below critical levels.

While certain types of precision-guided munitions are running low, the Joint Chiefs of Staff determined that further support to Ukraine would not endanger U.S. combat readiness, according to the officials.

Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democratic leader on the House Armed Services Committee, criticized the Pentagon’s rationale, calling it misleading.

“We are not at the lowest level of weapons stockpiles we have seen in 3.5 years of the conflict in Ukraine,” Smith told NBC News, adding that his staff had reviewed the figures and found no justification for the aid suspension.

According to four congressional aides and a former official, the decision to halt supplies was made unilaterally by Hegseth—the third such instance this year. Similar moves in February and May were later reversed after internal and external pressure.

NBC News sources also reported that Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s policy chief, backed the decision. Colby has consistently argued for scaling back U.S. involvement in Ukraine to prioritize military resources for a potential conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific.

The suspension has included deliveries of MIM-104F Patriot missiles—critical for Ukraine’s defense against ballistic threats. In response, the German government has launched an urgent procurement effort to provide the interceptors for Ukraine’s U.S.-made Patriot systems.

According to Bild, Berlin is now seeking assurances that Hegseth will greenlight the delivery of at least two Patriot batteries. A formal request was submitted to the Pentagon several weeks ago. Ukraine had previously attempted to purchase the systems directly from the U.S., but without success.