Pentagon considering returning weapons intended for Ukraine to US stockpiles – CNN
The US Department of Defense is gaining the ability to return certain weapons and equipment intended for Ukraine to American stockpiles — a major shift that could see billions of dollars previously allocated to Kyiv redirected to replenishing depleted US reserves.
CNN reports this with reference to sources, according to Censor.NET.
The interlocutors familiarized themselves with the official memo from the head of the Pentagon's political department.
The memo adds further uncertainty to the picture of US arms supplies to Ukraine ahead of a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin next week, the outlet noted.
Despite Donald Trump’s approval of a plan to sell US weapons to Ukraine via NATO, the Pentagon continues to have deep concerns about arming Kyiv in its fight against Russia at the expense of US stockpiles. This is particularly true for highly sought-after items that remain in short supply, such as interceptor missiles, air defence systems, and artillery ammunition.
Last month, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth halted a large shipment of weapons to Ukraine, acting in accordance with a Pentagon memo written by Elbridge Colby, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and a well-known sceptic of arming Ukraine, CNN reported.
Shortly after the suspension became public, Trump reversed Hegseth’s decision and pledged to continue supplying defensive weapons to Ukraine, which faces near-daily attacks from Russia. Trump also announced a deal with NATO to provide Ukraine with billions of dollars’ worth of US-made weapons, paid for by European allies.
However, Colby’s memo remains in effect and contains a previously undisclosed provision allowing the Pentagon to redirect weapons back to US arsenals. This applies to arms manufactured specifically for Ukraine under a Congress-funded programme known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
While CNN’s sources say no weapons have yet been redirected, the measure could deprive Ukraine of billions of dollars’ worth of US materiel expected to be delivered in the coming months and years.
It also undermines the purpose of USAI — a programme that has existed for nearly a decade and was created by Congress for a specific goal: to allocate Pentagon funds to procure weapons for Ukraine directly from US defence manufacturers.
According to CNN’s sources, it remains unclear whether weapons produced under this funding will ultimately reach Ukraine under the Pentagon’s new policy.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the matter.
