Aid paused (again): After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at last week’s NATO summit in The Hague, President Donald Trump was pretty gung-ho on Kyiv.
When asked about whether the country would receive more desperately-needed Patriots, he said they “want to have the anti-missile missiles, as they call them, and we’re going to see if we can make some available,” adding, “They’re very hard to get.”
Well, now we know why they’re very hard to get: on Tuesday, the Pentagon pulled a 180, cutting off a shipment of those “anti-missile missiles” to Ukraine, along with a bunch of other long-promised weaponry. Good to see we’re learning to keep our word.
A bridge too far: The tranche of military equipment—which was authorized by Congress under the Biden administration—was apparently a bridge too far for good ol’ Elbridge “Bridge” Colby.
Colby, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, was reportedly behind the decision to axe the military aid. He’s long railed against the US focus on Europe and the Middle East—he wants the country to be laser-focused on China.
Too bad that this might not be the best time for Ukraine, what with Russia launching some of its most intense missile and drone attacks of, like, the entire war.
U-Turn: White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed the pause, saying that 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.”
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell later added that “For a long time…we were giving away weapons and munitions without really thinking about how many we have…Part of our job is to give the president a framework that he can use to evaluate how many munitions we have and where we’re sending them.”
Wait ‘til they find out that the Pentagon sent 73 C-17s filled with Patriot missile defense systems from INDOPACOM to CENTCOM earlier this year, much to INDOPACOM Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo’s chagrin (and cries for help). But hey, it’s CENTCOM’s world, we’re all just living in it.
Here’s what was paused:
- 92 AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided, air-to-air missiles
- 30 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancements (MSE), an advanced missile interceptor part of the Patriot missile defense system
- 8496 155mm rounds
- 142 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, often used against tanks and other armored vehicles
- 252 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) precision-guided rockets, a key component of the HIMARS platform in use by Ukraine’s military
- 25 Stinger surface-to-air missiles
- 125 AT-4 recoilless anti-tank guns
A lot of this equipment is delivered through the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a mechanism that allows the president to quickly transfer weapons and equipment to allies from existing DoD stockpiles.
Given the relatively modest amount of equipment paused, it seems, um, a little dubious that this shipment was going to make a dent in the Pentagon’s stocks. As Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) wrote, “Many of the listed systems are not currently in use by the U.S. and others are produced at a fraction of production capacity.”
Making a point: Michael Kofman, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, agrees. He told Tectonic that “this is a small shipment that won’t affect much. It’s also unclear that a final decision has been made, and the matter might get resolved in the coming days. It has likely fallen victim to bureaucratic politics within DoD, with some officials using this to make a point on tradeoffs and prioritization.”
Backlash: Nonetheless, Colby’s decision led to some harsh words from a few Republicans in the House, which was already on fire with the “Big Beautiful Bill” vote. Never a dull moment, huh?
Here’s a snapshot of the reaction:
- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) wrote, “We must build up our own defense industrial base here in the U.S. while simultaneously providing the needed assistance to our allies who are defending their freedom from a brutal invading dictator.”
- Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said, “I think it’s all made by the DOD policy director, this Colby guy. We essentially don’t have a national security adviser,” adding, “I’m not even sure [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio was consulted on this one … There’s internal division in the White House.”
And then there was Palmer Luckey—yeah, that Palmer Luckey. He wrote on X that Anduril’s “autonomous weapons have destroyed hundreds of millions worth of Russia’s war machine.” And he came out staunchly anti-Colby, writing, “The United States should give [Ukraine] the tools they need to win. It is the fastest path to peace, one way or another.
However, “this Colby guy” said in a statement that the “Department of Defense continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine.”
No word on whether those robust options are “yes” or “no.”