The Trump administration is pausing some weapons shipments to Ukraine, including air defense missiles, following a review of military spending and American support to foreign countries, a senior White House official told CNN. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed off on the review, which had been underway for months.
It was not immediately clear if military support provided to other countries would be affected.
The decision to halt some weapons transfers to Ukraine comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with Western allies to bolster its aerial defenses after intensifying Russian airborne attacks, CNN reported.
Russia has in recent weeks launched near-nightly air attacks on Ukraine, involving hundreds of drones and missiles. On Sunday, the Ukrainian military said a pilot was killed after his F-16 fighter jet crashed during a Russian aerial assault. Following the attack, Zelensky said on social media Ukraine is ready to buy “American systems” to strengthen its air defenses.
The US has been the biggest single donor of military aid to Ukraine since 2022, supplying air defense systems, drones, rocket launchers, radars, tanks and anti-armor weapons, leading to concerns over dwindling US stockpiles.
Two Chinese nationals held for spying on US Navy
FBI Director Kash Patel has said that the agency arrested two Chinese nationals for spying on the US Navy and trying to recruit US service members for the Chinese intel service. Yuance Chen and Liren Lai, who were arrested on Friday, have also been accused of facilitating a “dead drop” payment on behalf of China’s MSS.
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