【By Shao Yun, Observer News】Just after confirming the suspension of part of the military aid to Ukraine, the U.S. government immediately said it would send more "defensive weapons" to Ukraine, causing a lot of confusion with its recent repeated stance on military aid to Ukraine.

According to CNN and Associated Press on August 8, the "comedy" was caused by U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel, who unilaterally authorized the suspension of the delivery of some weapons to Ukraine without informing the White House, even catching President Trump off guard. Moreover, according to U.S. media, this is not the first time that Hagel has acted on his own to stop the military aid to Ukraine.

On July 8, 2025, in Washington, D.C., at the White House Cabinet Room, Hagel (right) looked up at the ceiling after Trump spoke about the new decoration in the room. Visual China

CNN reported that the Pentagon's decision to suspend the transportation of weapons to Ukraine came after Trump asked Hagel last month to assess the U.S. military weapon inventory. The report stated that at that time, Trump was attending the NATO summit, and Iran and Israel were launching air strikes against each other. Trump wanted to ensure that U.S. troops stationed in the region had sufficient ammunition for self-defense when necessary.

However, sources said that Trump had not explicitly instructed Hagel to suspend the aid to Ukraine during the assessment, but rather the suggestion came from Deputy Defense Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby, who has long been skeptical of large-scale assistance to Ukraine.

After the media leaked the news of the suspension of aid to Ukraine, the Pentagon confirmed the incident on the 1st of this month. Although the White House also issued a confirmation statement, it was reported that the White House was unaware beforehand and decided to use a unified statement to cover up. According to AP, the Pentagon's statement caught Trump off guard as well. U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Kellogg and Secretary of State Rubio were reportedly informed through the news.

According to NBC on the 4th, the batch of ammunition that was suspended included dozens of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, thousands of 155mm shells, and over 100 Hellfire missiles. This batch of ammunition was approved by the Biden administration, and was already loaded onto vehicles in Poland and elsewhere, ready to be sent to Ukraine, but the military personnel received a notice to temporarily halt the shipment.

Colby gave the reason in a statement on the 1st that the Pentagon is "strictly reviewing and adjusting" the way of military aid to Ukraine to align with the goal of ending the conflict in Ukraine, while maintaining the readiness of the U.S. military for the government's defense priorities. This is seen as an indication of internal concerns within the Pentagon that the U.S. military supplies have already declined excessively.

However, U.S. media are not satisfied with this reason. NBC cited three informed officials who said that the conclusion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was that the inventory of some high-precision ammunition in the U.S. military was indeed low, but had not yet fallen below the "minimum level" required for military preparedness. Sources added that the portion of the aid to Ukraine that was suspended was extracted from the U.S. military inventory, which had received congressional funding for replenishment. Some other ammunition came from a new plan to purchase from U.S. companies, and did not involve the current inventory.

CNN commented that this incident highlighted the chaotic decision-making process within the Trump administration. The report stated that shortly after learning that the Department of Defense had suspended a batch of military aid to Ukraine, Trump ordered Hagel to restart the delivery of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles. However, the Pentagon only announced on the night of the 7th that it would continue to deliver more "defensive weapons" to Ukraine in accordance with Trump's instructions.

NBC pointed out that this is the third time that Hagel has "unilaterally" stopped the aid to Ukraine without coordinating with the White House or Congress. It is reported that the previous two instances occurred in February and May of this year, and were both revoked within a few days.

According to the website "Politico" on August 8, as the de facto "originator" of the incident, Colby has already caused dissatisfaction due to his "overstepping" style. The report said that Colby recently decided to review the AUKUS submarine agreement (AUKUS) without prior coordination, surprising senior officials at the Department of State and the National Security Council. In addition, in the past few months, Colby has frequently clashed with defense officials from the UK and Japan during meetings.

A source described Colby as "almost angering everyone I know in the government, everyone thinks he is the one who wants the United States to step back from world affairs."

Regarding the reports above, the Pentagon and the White House responded with their usual statement style. The Pentagon spokesperson Sean Paine called the reports from CNN and "Politico" as "fake news," stating that Hagel and Colby were simply performing their duties. "The Department of Defense will continue to provide strong options to the President regarding military aid to Ukraine, which is consistent with his goal of ending this tragic war and practicing 'America First.'"

Paine's response X screenshot

Regarding whether Hagel had notified the White House before approving the suspension of aid, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt stated in a statement that the Pentagon conducted a review "to ensure that all foreign support conforms to American interests." She added that Trump "has decided to continue providing defensive weapons to Ukraine," and that the Pentagon is actively pushing forward with this, saying "the President has full confidence in the Secretary of Defense."

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524992701469721107/

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