US resumes supplying weapons to Ukraine?
US arms shipments to Ukraine were halted, but are expected to resume later this week.
US arms shipments to Ukraine have been halted in recent days but will resume later this week as the Trump administration debates its policy toward Kiev, four sources familiar with the matter said.
Two of the four sources said the shipments were restarted after the White House reversed its initial assessment of halting all aid to Ukraine.
A US official said there were differences within the administration over the extent to which the US should continue to support Kiev's war effort with weapons from the US stockpile.
The White House did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Blocking the flow of US weapons would hamper the fighting capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and put the country at a greater disadvantage in peace negotiations.
According to Reuters, it is unclear whether the Trump administration will officially acknowledge the pause and then resume aid.
In his final months in office, the Biden administration approved an average of more than $1 billion in U.S. weapons from the U.S. stockpile for Ukraine. Even more if new contracts for future production were included.
The arms assistance to Ukraine from the United States was facilitated in part through the use of Presidential Release Powers, which allows the President to quickly transfer weapons and equipment from the US stockpile to foreign countries without congressional approval.
No packages have been announced since Donald Trump took office, but shipments signed by Joe Biden are believed to continue, and will continue for months due to the backlog.