U.S. weapons already in Poland en path to Ukraine have been halted, together with superior air protection programs and precision missiles, the Wall Road Journal reported on July 2.
The Pentagon confirmed the halt in a July 2 briefing, citing an ongoing "functionality evaluation" geared toward guaranteeing U.S. navy help "aligns with its strategic protection priorities."
The cargo in Poland consists of over two dozen PAC-3 Patriot missiles, greater than two dozen Stinger air-defense programs, Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, and over 90 AIM air-to-air missiles supposed to be used with Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets, in keeping with U.S. administration and congressional officers cited by the Wall Road Journal.
"We see this as a common sense, pragmatic step in the direction of having a framework to guage what munitions are despatched and the place," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated.
The choice has sparked backlash from either side of the political aisle in Washington. Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, known as the pause "unacceptable," whereas Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal labeled it "fallacious and possibly even disingenuous."
The pause comes at a crucial second for Ukraine, which faces intensified Russian missile and drone strikes. On June 29, Russia launched the biggest aerial assault in opposition to Ukraine because the begin of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, focusing on civilian infrastructure and cities far past the frontline.
NATO Secretary Common Mark Rutte, talking on July 2, emphasised the urgency of continued Western help for Kyiv. "I completely perceive that the U.S. at all times has to verify its pursuits are coated," he stated. "However within the quick time period, Ukraine can not do with out all of the help it may possibly get."
The Pentagon has not offered a timeline for when the held-back shipments may resume.
The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post