Announced this week, the suspension of American aid to Ukraine is a unilateral decision by the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. And this is not the first time.
The Pentagon has interrupted certain deliveries of missiles and other precision ammunition to Ukraine, fearing that American stocks are too low, two people said on Tuesday.
The slowdown in certain deliveries of arms promised to Kyiv by the administration of the former president, the Democrat Joe Biden, was recently decided, according to these sources.
This Friday, NBC News revealed that the decision had been made by a single man without having referred to anyone beforehand. It was Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, who decided to block American weapons for Ukraine this week.
According to NBC News, the decision to stop the delivery of weapons took the State Department, the members of the Congress, the Ukrainian officials and the European allies.
It would be based, moreover, on an analysis carried out by senior military officials who finally revealed that this aid program would not compromise the proper supplies of the American army, according to three US officials.
Elected officials seek to cancel the decision
For the first time in a long time, the Republicans and Democrats have been indignant, together, of this decision “which he took alone and without consultation”.
“A dishonest decision” for Adam Smith, eminent democrat of the Washington House of Representatives. “The real reason seems to be simply to continue a program aimed at cutting American aid to Ukraine.”
NBC News also revealed that it is the third time that HegSeth alone has interrupted the sending of help to Ukraine. During the two previous cases, in February and May, his actions were canceled a few days later.
In the Congress, some were fully warned of stopping this aid to Ukraine and examined whether the delay in delivery violated the legislation imposing security assistance in Ukraine. These elected officials and certain European allies were now looking to determine the exact reasons for the suspension ordered by the Pentagon and tried to have it canceled.
Note that the White House was united with the decision of its Ministry of Defense.
No less than 24 hours after the announcement of the suspension of American aid, Ukraine has suffered one of the important air attacks for three years, firing 60 missiles and 477 drones across the country.
