US Lawmakers Urge Pentagon Chief to Resume Full Arms Deliveries to Ukraine

Seventeen members of Congress have called on U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to restore halted arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Senator Richard Blumenthal said the decision by Hegseth was dangerous at a time when the U.S. should be responding to Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine.

“Hegseth reverse his dangerous decision to freeze munitions & arms shipments to Ukraine. This is precisely the wrong moment to curtail our aid. We must meet Putin’s brutal assault with the arms Ukraine needs to defend itself,” Blumenthal shared.

In a letter to Hegseth, the lawmakers warned that the Pentagon’s move has also raised concerns among key U.S. allies.

The following weapons systems are reported to have been suspended:

• PAC-3 Patriot surface-to-air missiles
• 155 mm artillery shells
• GMLRS rockets for HIMARS launchers
• Stinger MANPADS
• AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles
• AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles

The letter described the suspension, which was reportedly intended to shift resources to other regions, as a strategic error.

While the administration has stressed the importance of bolstering military capacity in the Indo-Pacific, lawmakers argued that Russia remains the most immediate and urgent threat to U.S. and allied security.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the largest air assault on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, the senators said, adding that this was the worst possible moment to reduce military assistance.

The lawmakers urge Pentagon Chied to reverse this decision and transfer the remaining $3.8 billion in assistance already authorized under the President’s drawdown authority, along with the remaining $300 million allocated under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative,” according to the letter.

They also requested a classified briefing by July 31 and written responses to the following questions:

• Which specific weapons and munitions for Ukraine have been suspended?
• Where are these munitions now being diverted?
• Are there plans to redirect other weapons? If so, to where?

According to the Department of Defense, how long can Ukraine maintain current consumption rates before running out of ammunition?

“Mr. Secretary, peace through strength requires us to use our strength,” the lawmakers wrote. “Ukraine’s fight for freedom is not hypothetical. It’s happening now, and we must stand with them by providing the arms they need to defend themselves.”

They added that Congress stands ready to authorize funding to replenish U.S. stockpiles in preparation for future conflicts.