Ukraine summons US diplomat after Trump administration halts weapons deliveries
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The news: Ukraine called upon a top diplomat from the US embassy on Wednesday, the FT reports, after the Trump administration abruptly stopped shipments of several high-value weapons to the country.
The context: The White House confirmed a report by Politico on Monday which said that the Pentagon halted shipments of some air defence missiles and other munitions to Ukraine over concerns that stockpiles in the US had fallen too low. Weapons include interceptors for Patriot air defence systems, precision-guided artillery shells and missiles launched by Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets, Politico reported.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement the decision “was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran.”
As recently as last week, President Donald Trump said that he'd consider sending more Patriot systems to Ukraine after a "good" meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit.
The decision to halt shipments raises serious concerns for Ukraine which relies on US weapons for defence and frontline support, as Russia’s summer offensive gains ground.
The FT on Wednesday said that Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha called the US embassy’s deputy chief of mission in Ukraine, John Hinkel, to the ministry of foreign affairs in Kyiv to urgently discuss military assistance and defence co-operation.
‘‘Any delay or hesitation in supporting Ukraine’s defence capabilities only encourages the aggressor to continue the war and acts of terror, rather than seek peace,” a statement shared with the FT reads.
A Ukrainian official told the masthead: ‘‘We counted on many of those systems as they were promised…That significantly affects our planning.”
Russia has been steadily increasing the frequency and size of its aerial attacks, with Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha saying on Monday that the country has had just two days without Russian drone and missile attacks in the past 12 months.
