【Text by Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】In early July, due to concerns about low domestic weapon stockpiles, the U.S. Department of Defense had stopped delivering some air defense missiles and other precision-guided weapons to Ukraine. However, according to a report by NBC on July 4th, citing three U.S. officials, an analysis found that this aid program would not jeopardize the U.S. military's own ammunition supply.

Multiple informed sources revealed that the U.S. State Department, members of Congress, Ukrainian officials, and European allies were caught off guard by the decision to suspend weapons shipments. Critics of this decision, including bipartisan U.S. figures who support aiding Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Adam Smith, a senior Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, stated that the Pentagon's justification based on readiness was hypocritical, and the real reason seemed to be to advance an agenda to cut off U.S. aid to Ukraine.

"In terms of inventory, we are not at the lowest level since the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict three and a half years ago," Smith did not elaborate but mentioned that his team had "seen the numbers," with no indication that the shortage of weapons stocks was a reason for suspending aid to Ukraine.

"Patriot" missile system Social platform

NBC cited three congressional aides and one informed former U.S. official, stating that the suspension of military aid to Ukraine was a unilateral move by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Sources said it was the third time that Austin had unilaterally halted the delivery of aid to Ukraine. The previous two instances occurred in February and May this year, and both decisions were overturned a few days later.

It is reported that Austin issued a memo directing the Pentagon's Joint Staff to review all ammunition inventories. Three informed officials revealed that the assessment found that the inventory of some high-precision munitions was at a low level, but had not exceeded critical minimum levels. Officials said that the Joint Staff concluded that continuing to provide aid to Ukraine would not cause the U.S. material consumption to fall below the threshold required to ensure readiness.

According to sources, Elbridge Colby, the third-highest-ranking official at the Pentagon, serving as the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy, also supported these measures. Colby has long advocated reducing U.S. commitments to Ukraine and shifting weapons and resources to the Pacific region to counter China.

Congressional aides stated that both parties' lawmakers were disappointed that they had not been notified in advance, and they are investigating whether delaying the shipment of weapons violated legislation requiring security assistance to Ukraine. These U.S. lawmakers and some European allies are trying to determine the reasons why the Pentagon ordered the suspension of aid and are desperately trying to reverse the situation.

In response to this decision, the White House defended it, stating that the Pentagon had been conducting a continuous review of U.S. aid to overseas allies and partners since last month.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on July 2nd during a briefing that this evaluation was a "readiness capability review."

"We can't give weapons to every country in the world," Parnell said: "Part of our job is to provide the President with a framework he can use to assess how much ammunition we have and where we need to send them. The review process is ongoing."

According to reports, the weapons suspended by the U.S. from being delivered to Ukraine include dozens of "Patriot" intercept missiles, thousands of 155mm artillery shells, over 100 "Hellfire" missiles, more than 250 sets of guided multiple launch rocket systems (GMLRS), dozens of "Stinger" surface-to-air missiles, "AIM" air-to-air missiles, and several sets of grenade launchers.

NBC reported that in European countries such as Poland, some U.S.-made weapons had already been loaded onto trucks, ready to be sent to Kyiv. These equipment would have helped Ukraine defend against Russian missile attacks and strengthen its defenses against ground forces in the eastern region. However, two informed sources revealed that officers and officials responsible for transportation suddenly received notice that this military aid had been halted.

Additionally, the news of the aid suspension caused strong reactions in Kyiv. Mariana Bezuglaya, a member of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine, wrote on social media, "The U.S. is no longer our ally." Although the parliamentarian made the above statement, Ukraine and the U.S. have never established any formal alliance relationship, and the U.S. government has so far refused to provide any NATO-style security guarantees to Kyiv.

On July 2nd, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Ukraine summoned the deputy head of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv and emphasized the importance of continued key military aid in defending against Russian forces. The statement pointed out, "Ukraine emphasized that any delay or postponement in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities would only encourage aggressors to continue their war and acts of terror, rather than prompting them to seek peace."

According to reports from Associated Press and Russia Today (RT), on the evening of July 3rd, former U.S. President Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One to fly to Iowa that the U.S. was still providing weapons to Ukraine, but prioritizing American interests.

"We are still providing weapons, but we have given too many weapons. You know, former President Biden emptied our entire country, giving them weapons. We must ensure we have enough weapons," Trump said. He added, "But we are indeed providing weapons and working with them and trying to help them," but did not specify which weapons were suspended from delivery and which ones were still being supplied.

AP noted that this was the first time Trump publicly commented on the suspension of weapons deliveries to Ukraine since Russia escalated its offensive.

This article is an exclusive piece by Observer Net. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

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