U.S. Senate demands investigation into Hegseth’s actions over suspension of arms supplies to Ukraine – media
Republican senators in the U.S. Senate are demanding a thorough investigation into the suspension of arms supplies to Ukraine, a decision made unilaterally by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
This was reported by The Hill, cited by Censor.NET.
Republican senators say reports that Hegseth froze weapons deliveries to Ukraine without approval from then-President Trump raise "serious questions about the level of coordination between the White House and the Pentagon."
"This is a clear mistake on many levels," a source told the publication.
According to the source, senators insist that Congress conduct a thorough review of the matter because if Hegseth or senior members of his team deliberately bypassed the commander-in-chief, it creates "a serious problem that must be addressed."
The Hill’s interlocutor emphasized that, aside from the lack of coordination between U.S. branches of government, the very fact of suspending arms supplies to Ukraine is alarming.
"It’s troubling to hear that there may have been other pauses, or that this pause lasted longer than any of us know. This isn’t about selling small arms to some African country, this is Ukraine," he stressed.
One of the sharpest criticisms came from Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who told CNN that Hegseth’s decision to halt arms supplies to Ukraine was "amateurish."
"Over time, I think it’s become clear that he is not managing the responsibilities of leading a large, complex organization," the senator said.
Senator Lindsey Graham stated that Congress must "get to the bottom" of who and why ordered the freeze on military aid to Ukraine.
U.S. suspends aid to Ukraine
Earlier, media reported that the United States had suspended shipments of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine due to concerns over the state of U.S. stockpiles. The White House later confirmed the halt in deliveries and stated that U.S. national interests are the priority.
A PBS journalist reported that in addition to PAC-3 interceptors for Patriot systems, the Pentagon has also halted the delivery of 155mm artillery shells, GMLRS rockets for M270 MLRS and HIMARS systems, Stinger anti-tank missiles, as well as AIM-7 and Hellfire air-to-ground missiles.
The Defense Ministry stated that Ukraine has not received any official notification regarding a halt or revision in the delivery schedule for defense assistance previously agreed upon with the United States under the prior administration.
On July 2, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a video address, spoke about the progress of negotiations with the United States concerning the suspension of defense aid.
Afterwards, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that the United States has not halted arms deliveries to Ukraine, and that the situation with a single decision does not affect Washington’s overall commitments.
US President Donald Trump stated that his administration intends to supply Ukraine with more defensive weapons.
According to media reports, Trump promised Zelenskyy to send Ukraine 10 Patriot missiles.
Some US media reported that Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth unilaterally decided to suspend weapons shipments to Ukraine without informing the White House.
On July 10, the United States resumed shipments of 155mm shells and precision-guided GMLRS rockets to Ukraine.
