Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized a pause on weapons shipments to Ukraine last week without informing the White House, prompting urgent efforts within the administration to understand and manage the sudden policy shift.
The move, which caught senior national security officials by surprise, was subsequently reversed by President Donald Trump. When asked about the halt during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump distanced himself from the decision. “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” he responded when pressed on who authorized it, affirming only that the U.S. would continue to send defensive weapons to Ukraine.
According to multiple sources, the incident highlights a disjointed policy-making process. Key figures, including U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Ret. Gen. Keith Kellogg and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reportedly learned of the pause from press reports. This was the second time this year Hegseth had unilaterally stopped the flow of U.S. weapons to Ukraine, with a similar decision in February also being quickly overturned.
Shortly after learning of last week’s pause, Trump instructed Hegseth to restart the shipment of critical munitions, particularly interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. Many of these weapons, part of a package approved by the previous administration, were already in Poland awaiting transfer. In a subsequent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump reportedly downplayed his involvement in the initial halt.
Despite the President’s directive, the Pentagon did not formally announce the resumption of aid until late Monday night, after Trump had publicly stated that Ukraine needed the weapons for its defense.
Official statements have sought to frame the situation as a coordinated review. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said Hegseth “provided a framework for the President to evaluate military aid shipments.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the review was to “ensure all support going to all foreign nations aligns with America’s interests,” adding that Trump has “full confidence in the Secretary of Defense.”
However, sources indicate the recommendation to halt the shipments originated not with Trump, but with Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, a vocal skeptic of extensive military aid to Ukraine. The proposal was reportedly approved by Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg over concerns about replenishing U.S. stockpiles, before receiving Hegseth’s final sign-off. Hegseth was said to believe the move aligned with Trump’s “America First” priorities. Some sources attribute the lack of coordination to Hegseth operating without a chief of staff to manage interagency policy decisions.
After the White House learned of the pause, officials told the Pentagon they would temporarily support the decision publicly but insisted the Defense Department explain its reasoning to Congress, which had also not been informed. Pentagon officials have since argued to congressional staffers that the halt was necessary due to critical shortages, but sources familiar with the matter say Congress has not been presented with any evidence or urgent funding requests to substantiate such claims.
The episode comes as President Trump expresses growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for his unwillingness to engage in peace talks. “We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin,” Trump said Tuesday. “It’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.” A European official noted that the pause in weapons shipments “genuinely did not originate” with the President.
