Ukraine says not told U.S. halting military aid, as Russia intensifies attack

KYIV — Ukrainian officials scrambled to clarify the situation Wednesday after the United States announced that it was halting deliveries of air defense munitions to Ukraine — weapons that Ukraine desperately needs as Russia pummels the country with unprecedented waves of aerial attacks.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said that it had “not received any official notifications” about the “suspension or revision of the delivery schedules” for U.S. military assistance and had requested a phone conversation “to further clarify the details,” the statement said.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in a statement there were “reports of delays in the delivery” of “certain elements” of military aid packages.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summoned the top official at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and said afterward that “any delay or slowing down in supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities would only encourage the aggressor to continue war and terror, rather than seek peace.”

Russia, for its part, welcomed the news about a suspension in weapons deliveries. “The less weapons are supplied to Ukraine the closer the end of the special military operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. Defense Department decided to halt some shipments to Ukraine after a review found American military stockpiles to be low, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement emailed to U.S. media outlets.

“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” she said.

The announcement comes as Russia has launched a summer offensive into Ukraine, especially in the eastern region.

President Donald Trump recently indicated he might supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles, a system that the Ukrainians need to repel Russian ballistic missile attacks.

American officials did not specify which weapons were being halted, but news reports indicated that they could include air defense systems, which had been allocated to Ukraine by the previous Biden administration.