Trump says U.S. will send more weapons to Ukraine, after Hegseth halts some shipments

[essentialsaltes]

"We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves," Mr. Trump told reporters during a White House event with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night.

"At President Trump's direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement later Monday night. "Our framework for POTUS to evaluate military shipments across the globe remains in effect and is integral to our America First defense priorities."

Last week, the White House confirmed it had decided to halt some shipments to Ukraine. A White House official said the pause was part of a broader review of weapons transfers to other countries. A U.S. official told CBS News the administration was concerned about military stockpiles falling too low.

Mr. Trump also said Monday he's "not happy with President Putin at all."

(Although this downplays the pause, there's still some questions about all of that, as Hegseth seems to have unilaterally made the decision, and for bogus reasons.)

Hegseth halted weapons for Ukraine despite military analysis that the aid wouldn’t jeopardize U.S. readiness​

The move blindsided the State Department, Ukraine, European allies and members of Congress, who demanded an explanation from the Pentagon.

Suspending the shipment of military aid to Ukraine was a unilateral step by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to three congressional aides and a former U.S. official familiar with the matter. It was the third time Hegseth on his own has stopped shipments of aid to Ukraine, the sources said.
Hegseth has twice before suspended aid to Ukraine without apparent coordination with lawmakers on Capitol Hill or even within the administration. The first time, in February, drew a prickly response from the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who called the move “a rookie mistake.”

The next time was in early May, according to a Senate aide. In both cases, the suspensions of aid were reversed within days.

Now it's three times.

And yes, Hegseth is still in office.