On July 1, after major Russian aerial assaults across Ukraine, reports surfaced that the US ordered a freeze on weapons deliveries to Kyiv.
Kyiv was surprised, and so were its allies.
Later, the Pentagon confirmed the decision; The White House and State Department said they were aware of it but denied that weapons had stopped flowing; Officials said US President Donald Trump did not order the halt.
Following a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump also announced that more “defensive weapons” are coming to Kyiv.
Is the crisis averted? One week following the halt – and partial resumption – here is everything we know about the halt.
What deliveries have been affected?
Initial reports suggest that air defense missiles, guided bombs, and artillery shells to Kyiv were affected. The quantity was not clear.
Politico, citing unnamed US officials, said weapons already on their way to Ukraine via Poland were also stopped in their tracks.
At the time, the Pentagon merely confirmed that a decision had been made to halt deliveries without specifying the type or quantity, whereas the State Department stated that some weapons were still being supplied to Ukraine.
While Trump subsequently confirmed on Monday that “defensive weapons” are again on their way to Ukraine, the specific types and quantity of weapons being sent have not been made public.
That said, Axios reported that Trump agreed to send 10 Patriot missiles to Kyiv, a piece of information that Kyiv Post cannot independently verify.
Why the halt?
Low stockpiles, according to the Trump administration.
“A capability review is being conducted to ensure US military aid aligns with our defense priorities, and we will not be providing any updates to specific quantities or types of munitions being provided to Ukraine, or the timelines associated with these transfers,” a Pentagon spokesperson said after the pause was made public.
“This decision was made to put America’s national security first, following a Defense Department review of global military assistance,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly at the time.
The Guardian, citing its own unnamed official sources, reported on Tuesday that the US’s Patriot stockpile might have reached 25% of what its war plans require, although the total quantity required was not disclosed.
Trump has also blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for depleting the country’s stockpile.
“Biden emptied out our whole country, giving them weapons. We have to make sure we have enough for ourselves,” Trump told reporters after his Friday call with Zelensky.
The Guardian reported, according to its sources, that the idea for an audit has been circulating within the Trump administration since February, shortly after his return to office. However, recent US involvement in the Middle East, particularly against Iran and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, has accelerated the process.
It said the US fired close to 30 Patriot missiles to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles over an attack on Qatar’s Al Udeid base after bombing the Iranian nuclear facilities.
Who ordered the halt?
There appears to be a common consensus that the Pentagon ordered the halt without explicit agreement with other bodies.
Namely, while everyone agreed on the need to audit the stockpile, no one expected them to stop the deliveries – the fact that White House officials have distanced Trump from the decision seems to support that.
Politico reported that Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby is to blame for the fiasco, but sources quoted by The Guardian said Colby likely does not have the authority to authorize such decisions.
Instead, the sources said Stephen Feinberg, the deputy defense secretary, authorized the halt, which was also signed off on by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Feinberg previously answered “Erm, the erm…” when asked by Sen. Mark Kelly on whether Russia invaded Ukraine during Feinberg’s nominee hearing – but it is unclear if Feinberg’s uncertain position on Ukraine played a role in the latest decision.
How bad is the halt for Ukraine?
Bad, according to Ukrainian troops who spoke with Kyiv Post.
An officer said US weaponry is a lifeline to Ukrainian defense as the Soviet stockpiles are getting depleted.
“The reason is very simple – Soviet systems have long been depleted. Full-scale war consumes everything. Even missiles for Soviet aircraft – we mostly use those of Western production,” said one officer in Ukraine’s air defense forces.
Valerii Romanenko, an aviation expert, told Kyiv Post that Ukraine cannot fend off against Russian missiles “of any type” without Patriots.
“Up to 70% of the Air Force and missile system weapons come from the US. Without Patriot missiles, we won’t be able to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles of any type,” Romanenko said.
But the halt also highlighted another aspect of the issue with the Patriots – their replenishment.
According to The Guardian, the US sends weapons to Ukraine either by using its own stockpiles or by hiring defense contractors to make new ones via a program called Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
But both methods were expected to be affected by the freeze, since the Pentagon is now focused on restocking its own supplies, using the same companies that make weapons for Ukraine.
While Berlin has signaled openness to help Kyiv purchase the systems, whether the manufacturers can catch up remains the key hurdle to Kyiv’s dilemma.