Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Director of Nasser Medical Complex: 25 martyrs, more than 70 wounded at aid point transferred to hospital.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli bombing on aid distribution point results in 12 martyrs in a preliminary toll.
Barrack: We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity building peace and prosperity with their neighbors
US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa supported by the US have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan, and their neighbors
YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: We carried out a top-tier operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Lydd with a Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile
Israeli media: Israelis in the Gush Dan area and al-Quds were asked to enter shelters immediately
Sirens sound in Tel Aviv and occupied al-Quds after a missile was launched from Yemen
Sheikh Qassem: We are ready to defend ourselves if 'Israel' attacks us in a way that we believe calls for us to defend ourselves
Sheikh Qassem: "Israel" will never be handed over our weapons
Sheikh Qassem: He who refuses so and accepts humiliation, that is their own business, but for us, we will not accept humiliation. We have made great sacrifices, and our strength has helped us achieve this result

US war buildup forces pause in Ukraine arms shipments

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Politico
  • 2 Jul 2025 03:44
  • 3 Shares
3 Min Read

The Pentagon has paused shipments of key air defense and precision munitions to Ukraine due to low US stockpiles.

Listen
  • x
  • US war buildup forces pause in Ukraine arms shipments
    A Patriot missile mobile launcher is displayed outside the Fort Sill Army Post near Lawton, Oklahoma, on March 21, 2023. (AP)

The Pentagon has halted shipments of critical air defense missiles and precision munitions to Ukraine due to mounting concerns that US weapons stockpiles have "fallen too low," Politico reported.

The move, reportedly spearheaded by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, follows an internal review of US military reserves. The review concluded that current stockpiles of Patriot interceptors, Hellfire missiles, precision-guided artillery rounds, and other vital munitions have fallen to levels considered insufficient for America’s own national defense priorities.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the decision, stating it was made “to put America’s interests first” following a Department of Defense reassessment of global military aid commitments. “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” she said in a statement.

The shipments originally authorized under the Biden administration were part of two aid streams: emergency drawdowns from existing stockpiles and contracts signed through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. According to Politico, this freeze affects both channels and comes into effect just as Ukraine faces its heaviest wave of Russian aerial attacks in over a year.

Strategic consequences

Related News

State Dept official admits criticism of 'Israel' can lead to visa loss

Three deputies killed in explosion at LA sheriff's facility

The suspension of aid includes munitions for Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems and missiles used by F-16 fighters and drones. The impact is expected to be severe, especially as Ukraine repels intensified Russian missile and drone barrages.

US lawmakers expressed alarm over the decision. Representative Marcy Kaptur, co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, warned that halting such aid “will surely result in the imminent death of many Ukrainian military and civilians.”

Read more: Pentagon burned through 20% of THAAD missiles defending 'Israel'

Long-term repercussions

Military experts warn that while air defense alone won’t win the war for Ukraine, its absence could hasten defeat. “Air defense won’t win a war for you — but the absence of it will lose one fast,” said Tom Karako, a missile defense specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He noted that the US Army has recently quadrupled its requirement for Patriot MSE interceptors, but ramping up production would take months.

With limited stockpiles and production constraints, Washington is reportedly also redirecting key munitions, including artillery shells and air defense systems, to other theaters, including "Israel" and US homeland defense.

Fallout from US aggression on Yemen forces new strategy

The shift in strategy has also been influenced by lessons drawn from the recent US aggression on Yemen, where American and allied forces consumed large volumes of air defense munitions in operations against the Yemeni Armed Forces. According to a source familiar with Pentagon deliberations, the Defense Department had, as early as February, been categorizing its munitions based on criticality, after realizing that the Yemen campaign had significantly depleted key assets.

An action memo was reportedly prepared for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth months ago to pause shipments of the most short-supplied munitions, including those being sent to Ukraine. However, internal turnover within the Pentagon delayed the move, which has now materialized as a partial freeze.

Read more: Second F/A-18 from USS Harry S. Truman crashes in Red Sea

  • United States
  • Russia
  • Patriot missile system
  • Yemen
  • Ukraine
  • Ukraine war
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Algerian nurse stabbed in Germany

Murder of Algerian nurse in Germany sparks outcry, demands for justice

  • Europe
  • 14 Jul 2025
Credible reports, including some from Israeli media itself, indicate that Tel Aviv had pinned its hopes on what can only be described as a delusional plan. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Jebraily: Iran strikes rewrote regional deterrence rules - Exclusive

  • MENA
  • 15 Jul 2025
Al-Qassam Brigades fighters confront Israeli soldiers in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

3 Israeli soldiers killed amid Gaza battles: Israeli media

  • Palestine
  • 14 Jul 2025
Al Mayadeen: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned

Exclusive: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned

  • Politics
  • 15 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The US Capitol, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington (AP)
Politics

Congress set to weaken oversight on foreign US arms sales

Only quarter of Americans say Trump policies helped them: Poll
US & Canada

Only quarter of Americans say Trump policies helped them: Poll

UK charities fund Israeli settlement expansion in occupied West Bank
Palestine

UK charities fund Israeli settlement expansion in occupied West Bank

Calls grow to remove Netanyahu from High School hall of fame
Politics

Calls grow to remove Netanyahu from high school Hall of Fame

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS