Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) is calling on the White House and the Department of Defense (DOD) to hold an emergency briefing on the Pentagon’s recent pause in shipments of some air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine.
“I respectfully request an emergency briefing from the White House and the Department of Defense on the Pentagon’s recent review of our nation’s weapons and munitions stockpiles, as well as the decision to withhold urgent, lifesaving military assistance to Ukraine,” Fitzpatrick, a vocal ally of Ukraine in Congress, said in a Wednesday letter to the White House.
The Pennsylvania Republican wrote that “while the United States needs to continue to strengthen our Defense Industrial Base here at home, we can and must simultaneously provide urgently needed assistance to our allies who are defending their freedom from brutal invading dictators. To not do both is unacceptable.”
Fitzpatrick’s one-page letter came a day after news reports revealed that the DOD halted the delivery of some missiles and munitions to Ukraine over concerns of U.S. military stockpiles being depleted.
“The Department of Defense continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end,” Elbridge Colby, DOD’s under secretary for policy, said in a statement on Tuesday. “At the same time, the Department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving U.S. forces’ readiness for Administration defense priorities.”
When asked for comment about the letter, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Hill 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. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran.”
The White House provided the same statement on Tuesday when confirming the reports about the halt of weapons transfers to Ukraine. The Hill has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
The U.S. government has provided tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine in military aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The decision to pause the delivery of weapons to Kyiv has been met with criticism from some Democrats in Congress, with Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) claiming that Colby is “taking action that will surely result in the imminent death of many Ukrainian military and civilians.”
Russia has continued to pound Ukraine, launching a massive aerial attack on Sunday with more than 60 missiles and 477 drones, per Ukraine’s air force.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Kyiv “emphasized that any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities will only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and terror, rather than seek peace.”
The ministry added that it was looking for clarity from the Trump administration, saying it was not officially notified of any pause in shipments from Washington.
