Hegseth Halts Ukraine Arms Last Week Without White House Approval/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth paused Ukraine arms shipments without notifying the White House, catching top officials off guard. President Trump denied ordering the pause and quickly reversed it to resume crucial weapons deliveries. The incident underscores internal tensions and questions about U.S. policy coordination on Ukraine aid.
Quick Look
- Hegseth paused weapons shipments to Ukraine without White House clearance, sparking confusion.
- Trump intervened to restart shipments amid rising tensions with Russia.
- Congress was blindsided and demands explanations about U.S. stockpile assessments.
Hegseth Authorized Ukraine Arms Pause Without White House Approval, Sources Reveal
Deep Look
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth halted weapon shipments to Ukraine last week without informing the White House in advance, five sources familiar with the matter told CNN — sparking confusion within the Biden administration and urgent efforts to explain the unexpected decision to Congress and Ukrainian officials.
President Donald Trump, pressed by reporters on Tuesday about whether he had ordered the pause, distanced himself from the move.
“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” Trump responded during a Cabinet meeting when asked who approved the hold. He did emphasize, however, that the U.S. would keep sending defensive weapons to Ukraine.
The episode highlights persistent internal friction and unpredictability in the Trump administration’s foreign policy apparatus. It’s the second time this year Hegseth has paused arms deliveries to Ukraine without broad consultation, blindsiding national security officials, according to sources.
Weapons Shipments Caught Officials Off Guard
The first such incident occurred in February and was rapidly reversed. A similar reversal played out again this week: On Monday night, Trump declared shipments to Ukraine would resume, overriding Hegseth’s decision.
Senior figures including U.S. special envoy Ret. Gen. Keith Kellogg and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also left out of the loop. They reportedly learned of the pause from media reports rather than direct briefings, a senior administration official confirmed.
Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson insisted in a statement that Hegseth was preparing “a framework for the President to evaluate military aid shipments and assess existing stockpiles,” and claimed the effort was coordinated across government.
But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the Pentagon’s review as intended only to “ensure all support going to foreign nations aligns with America’s interests.” She added that President Trump has “full confidence in the Secretary of Defense.”
Two sources suggested Hegseth’s lack of close advisers or a chief of staff contributed to the communication breakdown.
“He just doesn’t have anyone around him who might push him to coordinate major policy decisions better,” one official said.
Trump Intervenes to Resume Crucial Weapons
Trump personally intervened last week to restart shipments of key munitions, including interceptor missiles vital to Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems, sources said. Many of these supplies were already positioned in Poland and could be sent to Ukraine swiftly.
During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last Friday, Trump downplayed any personal involvement in halting the weapons flow. Meanwhile, the Pentagon confirmed on Monday night that the shipments would proceed, following Trump’s public comments emphasizing Ukraine’s need for defensive support.
Trump appeared to harden his stance toward Russia recently. Frustration has reportedly grown within the White House over President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to pursue meaningful peace negotiations.
“We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin,” Trump remarked on Tuesday. “It’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
A European diplomat confirmed that Trump’s frustration with Moscow was evident during the recent NATO summit in the Netherlands and noted the weapons pause “genuinely did not originate” with the president.
Stockpile Concerns Triggered Pause — But Not Presidential Order
Sources said the Pentagon’s decision stemmed from Trump’s request for an updated assessment of U.S. weapons stockpiles following rising Middle East tensions, not a directive to halt Ukraine aid. Amid clashes between Iran and Israel, Trump sought to ensure sufficient U.S. munitions were available for potential regional conflict.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed a “capability review” was underway. However, Trump never specifically ordered the halt in Ukrainian aid, three sources stressed. Instead, the idea reportedly came from Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, a long-time skeptic of large-scale U.S. military assistance to Ukraine.
“A Europe-first policy is not what America needs in this exceptionally dangerous time,” Colby wrote on social media last year. “We need to focus on China and Asia.”
Colby’s recommendations were passed to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, who endorsed the pause due to concerns about slow replenishment of U.S. stockpiles. Hegseth ultimately signed off, believing it aligned with Trump’s “America First” doctrine.
Congress Left in the Dark
The White House, upon learning of the pause, initially agreed to cover for the decision, but insisted the Pentagon brief Congress — which had not been notified ahead of time. In recent days, Pentagon officials have told congressional staffers that stockpile shortfalls justified the move. However, lawmakers say they have received no evidence of a critical shortage.
“Congress would be glad to work with DoD if credible evidence was presented that Pentagon stockpiles were critically short, requiring them to take unilateral action like they did last week,” one congressional source said. “But there have been no new urgent requirements submitted to Congress from DoD for any of these munitions.”
Congress routinely approves emergency funding for weapons procurement, but the lack of advance notification and evidence of dire shortages has fueled skepticism on Capitol Hill.
As tensions between Ukraine and Russia remain high, the episode raises fresh questions about coordination and clarity within U.S. defense and foreign policy — and whether the Trump administration can maintain unity on the global stage.
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