Pentagon Pauses Patriot, Artillery Shipments to Ukraine on Stockpile Fears

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has paused deliveries of several categories of U.S. weapons pledged to Ukraine, including Patriot air-defence interceptors and other precision munitions, after an internal review concluded that domestic stockpiles have fallen to levels the military considers too low, according to officials and documents seen by multiple news organisations.

The order, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and shaped by policy chief Elbridge Colby, affects roughly 30 Patriot missiles, about 8,500 155 mm artillery rounds, more than 250 GMLRS rockets, 142 Hellfire missiles and dozens of Stinger and AIM air-to-air missiles. Some of the matériel had already been staged in Poland but will remain under U.S. control until the assessment is complete; no timetable for resumption was given.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the decision was taken "to put America’s interests first" and to preserve readiness, stressing that broader security cooperation with Kyiv continues. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 the United States has provided roughly $66-67 billion in military assistance, but new drawdowns have slowed under the Trump administration amid wider budget and strategy reviews.

Kyiv reacted with alarm, summoning acting U.S. chargé d’affaires John Ginkel to warn that any delay in air-defence and artillery supplies would embolden Russian forces, which have intensified missile and drone strikes in recent weeks. Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of Ukraine’s parliamentary defence committee, called the pause “painful”, while NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Ukraine “cannot do without” continued allied support.

The temporary halt follows shorter pauses earlier this year and comes as Congress debates the 2026 defence budget. U.S. officials say the stockpile review will guide whether, and how quickly, the withheld munitions can be released without undermining domestic force readiness or commitments in other theatres.