"The Department of Defense continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military assistance to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of ending this tragic war. At the same time, the Department is rigorously reviewing and adapting its approach to achieve this goal while maintaining the readiness of U.S. forces for the administration's defense priorities," the U.S. Department of Defense responded to a request from Delfi.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell added, succinctly, that the US military is"more capable than ever" of defending itself against potential threats, and attributed this to US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
"The American military has never been more ready and capable, thanks to the leadership of President (Donald) Trump and (US Defense) Secretary (Pete) Hegseth."
"Our soldiers are fully prepared to deter any threat, and the recent passage of the Senate's 'One Big Beautiful Act' ensures that our weapons and defense systems are modernized to protect future generations from 21st century threats," Parnell wrote in his response to Delfi.
Interrupted the delivery of some arms shipments
Delfi recalls that the White House announced on Tuesday that it is halting the delivery of some important arms shipments promised during the administration of President Joe Biden to Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia.
The suspension of supplies of ammunition and other military aid, including air defense systems, would likely be a blow to Ukraine, which is struggling to withstand one of the heaviest Russian missile and drone attacks in the three-year war.
"This decision was made to prioritize American interests after the DOD (Department of Defense) reviewed our country's military support and assistance to other countries around the world," White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told AFP in an email.
The military aid cut signals a possible shift in priorities for US President Donald Trump, who has been pressuring Russia and Ukraine to speed up stalled peace talks. The Republican has taken a bigger role in brokering a possible ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and easing tensions between Iran and Israel after a bloody 12-day war between the two adversaries.
A Pentagon review found that some previously promised ammunition supplies had become too low and that some planned shipments would now not be sent, a US official said on condition of anonymity, according to Politico magazine, which first reported the suspension of military aid.
Politico and other US media outlets reported that the seized goods included Patriot air defense missiles, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles.
Ukraine summons US diplomat, warns aid delay will embolden Russia
Ukraine summoned the deputy head of the US embassy in Kyiv for a meeting on Wednesday and warned him that any delay in US military aid to Ukraine would"encourage" Russia, the foreign ministry said.
"John Ginkel was invited to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry (...) The Ukrainian side emphasized that any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities would only encourage the aggressor to continue the war," the ministry said in a statement.
The Kremlin is rejoicing
The Kremlin on Wednesday welcomed the United States' decision to halt some arms supplies to Ukraine, saying that reducing the flow of weapons to Kyiv would help bring the conflict to a quicker end.
On Wednesday, Kyiv said it was trying to get specific information from Washington regarding the White House's announcement of a halt to some arms supplies to Ukraine.
"We are clarifying the situation. I think everything will become clear in the coming days," presidential aide Dmytro Lytvyn told reporters shortly after Kyiv summoned a US diplomat and stressed to him the "critical importance" of American military supplies in defending against a Russian invasion.
