US ends funding new arms sales to Kiev, weighs stockpiles halt: WSJ
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The Trump administration has halted new arms supplies to Ukraine and is considering suspending shipments from US stockpiles.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky takes part in a plenary during the Securing Our Future Summit on Ukraine and European security at Lancaster House in London on March 2, 2025. (AP)
The Trump administration has halted fresh arms supplies to Ukraine and is considering suspending weapons shipments from US stockpiles, threatening Kiev's capacity to continue the war against Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing current and former US officials.
The decision to potentially shut down the primary channel for weaponry deliveries to Ukraine comes days after a tense exchange between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
Immediately after, concern spread across Europe that the US may be abandoning the larger Western alliance.
Earlier, a US military official told Al Mayadeen that the US Department of Defense continues to deliver some significant ammunition to Ukraine that was previously approved, including hundreds of guided missile launch systems (GMLRS), anti-tank weapons, and thousands of artillery shells.
On Monday, Trump publicly chastised Zelensky for claiming that the battle with Russia would last a long time. "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer!" Trump posted on Truth Social, using a variant spelling of the Ukrainian leader's name.
In late January, the Trump administration issued an order to halt all foreign aid, including military funding, except for "Israel" and Egypt.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio in recent weeks approved a waiver exempting Ukraine from Trump's foreign aid prohibition, but senior State Department official Peter Marocco has yet to send the requisite letter to the Pentagon allowing aid to flow to Kiev, current officials revealed.
Ukraine can obtain weapons from the US through various channels, including Foreign Military Financing, which provides loans and grants to nations to purchase weapons from US defense companies, and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the Pentagon to purchase weapons for Kiev but is currently out of funds.
Presidential drawdown power, which permits the Defense Department to draw directly from its own stockpiles, has been the most effective instrument for arming Ukraine. The White House will host a meeting on Monday to consider stopping shipments under the drawdown authority, according to a congressional staffer and a second source familiar with the subject.
The suspension of funding for future weapons sales began before Friday's tumultuous meeting. During that meeting, Ukraine and the US were meant to sign a framework agreement for a mineral-rights pact, but instead, they canceled the ceremony and a news conference and booted Zelensky and his accompanying delegation out.
But the meeting to consider suspending ongoing weapons shipments to Ukraine drawn from US military inventories emerged after the Friday blowup at the White House.
The State Department declined to comment.
Officials believe that without new US aid, Ukraine can only sustain its fight against Russia until midyear, bolstered by last-minute Biden administration weapons shipments, while European leaders push for a peace plan involving ground troops and military assets to present to Trump.
If the US cutoff continues, Ukraine may lose access to sophisticated weaponry, including advanced air-defense systems, surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, guidance systems, and long-range rocket artillery. The US is the sole manufacturer of several systems, such as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which allow the Ukrainians to attack deep behind Russian lines.
Officials and analysts believe that if those US supplies run out, Ukraine's capacity to undertake longer-range strikes and cover its rear areas would diminish.
The Trump administration has delivered some weapons pledged by Biden, but no new arms transfers have been announced since December 30, leaving over $3 billion in authorized but unallocated military aid for Ukraine.
