A surprise decision by the Pentagon to halt weapons shipments to Ukraine has "blindsided" lawmakers, diplomats, and even key Trump allies, sparking confusion and criticism on both sides of the Atlantic.
That’s according to Politico, which reported Wednesday that the abrupt pause, driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby and a small circle of advisers, was not coordinated across the administration. Even senior Republicans say they were left in the dark.
“The surprise move on Monday has fueled concern and frustration, including among top Republicans, that one senior Pentagon official appeared to hold outsized influence over the decision,” Politico said.
“I think it’s all made by the DOD policy director, this Colby guy,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) told the outlet. “We essentially don’t have a national security adviser. I’m not even sure [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio was consulted on this one … There’s internal division in the White House.”
The move “caused bewilderment and whiplash in Ukraine,” and came as President Donald Trump appeared to warm to renewed support for the war-torn country, according to Politico. The shipment of critical arms, reportedly already staged in Poland, was abruptly held without input from the State Department, U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, or Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, the report added.
“One U.S. official said the Pentagon’s decision was uncoordinated and caught the State Department by surprise,” according to the report, while Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) has formally requested an emergency briefing from the White House and Department of Defense.
Even House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) said he only learned about the decision through media reports. However, a White House official insisted that Trump and senior aides were made aware of the review “prior to the story,” but declined to say exactly when they were informed.
Meanwhile, the White House and Ukraine are working to coordinate a call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which, according to Politico, "was set in motion on Tuesday as word began filtering out that the U.S. had slammed the brakes on shipments of the weapons to Ukraine."