US May Redirect Weapons Made for Ukraine to Its Own Stockpile

The Pentagon’s new policy allows weapons manufactured for Ukraine under the USAI program to be redirected back to the US Army’s stockpile.

This was reported by CNN.

According to four people familiar with a memorandum written in July by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Department of Defense has been given the ability to redirect certain weapons and equipment produced for Ukraine back to U.S. stockpiles.

This dramatic change could result in billions of dollars previously earmarked for Ukraine being diverted to replenish U.S. stockpiles.

According to the publication, this change adds even more uncertainty to the already unclear state of affairs regarding the supply of American weapons to Ukraine ahead of a possible meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Despite Trump’s approval of the plan to sell U.S. weapons to Ukraine through NATO, Pentagon remains deeply concerned about arming Ukraine in a war with Russia using U.S. stockpiles. This is especially true for scarce items such as interceptor missiles, air defense systems, and artillery ammunition.

Colby has been a consistent supporter of the China strategy, which suggests that the United States should focus all its efforts on countering China, by and large ignoring all other threats and challenges.

In June, the United States redirected 20,000 anti-aircraft missiles with the APKWS laser guidance system, which were intended for delivery to Ukraine, to US Air Force units in the Middle East. It is believed that Colby also initiated this decision.

In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth halted a large shipment of weapons to Ukraine, but after Trump’s order, he resumed deliveries to Ukraine of certain types of weapons. This halt was in accordance with a new Pentagon memorandum written by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby.

However, Colby’s memorandum remains in effect and, according to the newspaper, contains a previously undisclosed provision. It allows Pentagon to return weapons to the US stockpile that were manufactured for Ukraine under the USAI program.

According to sources, the memorandum categorizes US stockpiles into red, yellow, and green categories. The red and yellow categories include weapons that Pentagon considers to be in short supply. These categories now require the explicit approval of the Secretary of Defense before they can be shipped anywhere. For example, interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system fall into the red category, sources said.

Sources claim that the possibility of such a redirection has not yet been used. However, this provision could potentially deprive Ukraine of billions of dollars worth of American weapons to be delivered in the coming months and years.

USAI

The USAI program was established in 2016 and has traditionally provided Ukraine with a steady supply of weapons. The Senate recently allocated another $800 million for this program as part of the Pentagon’s annual budget for 2026.

As of December 31, 2024, Ukraine has received $11.4 billion in assistance ordered through USAI. Another $11.2 billion has already been spent on weapons orders, but the aid has not yet been delivered. The remaining $10.6 billion has been allocated from the budget but has not yet been used to sign contracts.

Under previous administrations, senior Pentagon officials believed that diverting weapons produced under the USAI program back to the U.S. stockpile would violate the Foreign Assets Control Act. This law strengthens the financial powers of the Congress and requires the president to notify lawmakers of any delays or withholding of funds approved by the Congress.

The new Pentagon policy has already met with some resistance from the Senate. In the Pentagon’s 2026 budget, lawmakers included a provision that would allow the Pentagon to return weapons only if they have not yet been transferred to Ukraine and are no longer needed to support USAI training, equipment, and advisory activities. The bill also stipulates that the Secretary of Defense must notify the Congress before reusing these stockpiles.