The verbal order to suspend US military aid to Ukraine in February came from the office of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — the White House was not even aware of it at first.
This is reported by Reuters, citing sources.
About a week after Donald Trump began his second presidential term, the US military ordered three cargo airlines based at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and a US base in the United Arab Emirates to stop 11 flights loaded with artillery shells and other weapons bound for Ukraine.
Within hours, questions poured in from Ukrainian officials and officials in Poland, where the deliveries were coordinated, asking who ordered the deliveries stopped and why. Senior national security officials—in the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department—could not provide answers. Within a week, the flights were resumed.
According to TRANSCOM data reviewed by Reuters, the verbal order came from the office of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The suspension of supplies came after Trump wrapped up a meeting on Ukraine in the Oval Office on Jan. 30 with Hegseth and other top national security officials. The idea of cutting aid to Ukraine was mooted at the meeting, but Trump gave no direction. Reuters sources said the US president was unaware of Hegseth’s follow-up order.
In a statement to reporters, the White House said Hegset acted on Trumpʼs orders. However, the White House did not explain why, according to Reuters sources, top national security officials, who are usually involved in the decision-making process, were not informed of the order and why it was rescinded so quickly.
According to data verified by Reuters, the flight cancellations cost TRANSCOM $2.2 million.
The canceled flights were to carry weapons that had long been approved by the Biden administration and approved by Congress.
Reuters could not determine whether Hegseth or his team understood what the order given to TRANSCOM would entail or that it would constitute a significant change in US policy toward Ukraine. Three sources familiar with the situation said Hegseth misinterpreted discussions with the president about Ukraine policy and aid delivery.
- This is not the only time that the United States has suspended aid to Ukraine under Trump. Another incident occurred in March — Bloomberg, citing its own sources, wrote on March 4 that the US President Donald Trump had ordered the suspension of all military aid to Kyiv, including that which was on the way. This was supposedly to put pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky after their dispute in the Oval Office.
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe officially confirmed the suspension of aid and intelligence sharing on March 5. Trumpʼs then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said that the US president would consider resuming aid to Ukraine "if peace talks are organized" and on condition that trust is strengthened.
- The US lifted the pause in intelligence sharing and resumed security assistance to Ukraine on March 11, following a meeting of negotiators in Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.
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