US confirms Trump ordered resumption of Ukraine military aid shipments
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U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the continuation of shipments of military aid to Ukraine after a brief pause earlier this month, the White House and the State Department confirmed on July 8.
"We have, of course, the resumption of shipments to Ukraine. The president has been vocal about this," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during a press briefing on July 8.
The statement follows days of confusion and backlash after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly authorized a temporary halt to American weapons deliveries on July 2 without notifying the White House, State Department, or U.S. allies.
Bruce emphasized that the temporary halt should not be viewed as a policy shift.
"We remain Ukraine's biggest supporters," she said. "We care about those people. We care about making sure they have what they need."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN that the decision to pause the shipments followed a Pentagon review "to ensure all support going to all foreign nations aligns with America's interests." She added that Trump "has full confidence in the secretary of defense" and had since decided to continue the shipments.
The U.S. president ordered Hegseth to renew at least some of the Ukraine-bound supplies, namely Patriot interceptors, shortly after learning about the pause last week, according to CNN.
Trump initially publicly denied the pause on July 4 and said the U.S. continues providing arms to Ukraine. The Pentagon subsequently issued a statement on July 7 confirming the renewed support.
"At President Trump's direction, the Defense Department is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops," the statement read.
The suspension affected a major aid package that included Patriot interceptor missiles, 155 mm artillery shells, Hellfire missiles, and other key munitions. Some of the equipment had already reached Poland and was en route to Kyiv when the pause took effect, according to NBC News.
The delay came as Moscow's forces intensified aerial attacks against Ukraine, putting ever greater strain on Ukrainian air defense stockpiles. Russia launched its heaviest attack against Ukraine on July 9, launching over 740 drones and missiles.
