U.S. Hitting Brakes on Flow of Arms to Ukraine

Wall Street Journal MSN ^ | Nancy A. Youssef, Jared Malsin

[marcusmaximus]

The Trump administration has stopped financing new weapons sales to Ukraine and is considering freezing weapons shipments from U.S. stockpiles, moves that threaten Kyiv’s ability to fight at a critical time in its battle against Russian forces, current and former U.S. officials said.

-snip-

Secretary of State Marco Rubio in recent weeks signed a waiver to exempt Ukraine from the ban Trump imposed on foreign assistance, but senior State Department official Peter Marocco hasn’t sent a required letter to the Pentagon to allow the aid to flow to Kyiv, current officials said.

Withholding the letter has resulted in a de facto halt to new weapons deals for Ukraine using the U.S. Foreign Military Financing system, which is managed by the State Department and pays for weapons for some countries, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the situation.

Ukraine is able to get weapons from the U.S. through several means, including Foreign Military Financing, which provides loans and grants for nations to buy weapons from U.S. defense companies, and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the Pentagon to buy weapons for Kyiv but is currently out of funds. However, presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Defense Department to pull directly from its own stockpiles, has been the most significant tool for arming Ukraine.

On Monday, the White House is holding a meeting to consider suspending shipments using the drawdown authority, a congressional aide and a second person familiar with the matter said.

-snip-

There are over $3 billion in funds to draw from existing stockpiles that have been authorized by Congress but not allocated by the administration, the congressional aide said.

[cuz1961]

oscar blue ( rav ) mentioned much arms sent to Ukraine ending up with the cartels on the border the other day. i wonder if eu will fight to the last polish soldier after they get all possible Ukrainians wasted ? nueland... SPIT powers ...SPIT vindmans... SPIT biden ...SPIT ALL the war mongers ... SPIT

its a crying shame what they put Ukraine through.

[EliRoom8]

France, Canada and Britain have said they will fill the gap, so let them.

Together they don't make 20% of the largese from Uncle Sam.

[Starboard]

“If that happens, Zelensky will be forced to negotiate and end to the war.”

***********

Zelensky does not negotiate in good faith. Trump or Rubio should say that any further negotiations will have to be with Zelensky’s replacement.

[marcusmaximus]

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick

I just had a lengthy and productive one-on-one conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Chief-of-Staff, Andrii Yermak. We are 100% getting this train back on the tracks. This mineral deal will be signed in short order, which will lead to a strong long-term economic partnership between the United States and Ukraine, and which will ultimately and naturally lead to security assistance. Europe will be required to step up and do its part, and there will be mandates for them to do just that. Stay tuned for further details.

https://x.com/RepBrianFitz/status/1896663350370566156

[Starboard]

How true. Unless you go in another direction, it just continues to get worse.

[blackberry1]

If you remember the end of the Vietnam war this is how. the script reads. The American public, which was allowed to publicly and vocally protest the long drawn out debacle, said enough. Nixon won election promising to end the war.

Donald Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine.

Taxpayers are done financing a war that should have never started.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "I could give you my answer and I could go back to the Oval Office and find out my answer is obsolete."

Quoted with a source. Do you have a URL or not?

[CarolinaReaganFan]

Trump promised during campaign to cutoff weapons to ukes.
I think he will deliver.
cut them off and starlink too.
#MAGA

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "Time for Europe to tote that bucket for the foreseeable future"

Z met with Charles, so maybe Britain will now finance the enterprise?

Z with Charles

[The Louiswu]

About time.

[dfwgator]

If you remember the end of the Vietnam war this is how. the script reads. The American public, which was allowed to publicly and vocally protest the long drawn out debacle, said enough. Nixon won election promising to end the war.



"'Cause I know that's the *popular* version of what went on there. And a lot of people like to believe that. I wish I could, but I was *there*. I wasn't here in a class room, hoping I was right, thinking about it. [shouting] Professor Terguson: I was up to my knees in rice paddies, with guns that didn't work! Going in there, looking for Charlie, slugging it out with him; While [shouts] Professor Terguson: pussies like you were back here partying, putting headbands on, doing drugs, and [shouts] Professor Terguson: listening to the g__d___ Beatle albums! Oh! Oh! Oh!

[madison10]

Who is this Fitzpatrick backstabber?

[cnsmom]

Time to build up all OUR supplies

[V_TWIN]

The UK can kiss that 3.3 billion “loan” goodbye.

I can hear it now, another tin pot dictator is Ukraine president and says “hey, I didn’t make that deal, that was zelinsky.....sorry”

[MinorityRepublican]

France, Canada and Britain have said they will fill the gap, so let them.

They can't. But Germany can. But they're still buying Russian gas.

Europe estimated to have bought €22bn of fossil fuels from Russia in 2024 but gave €19bn to support Kyiv

[Empire_of_Liberty]

I don’t think this con works unless America is the mark.

European countries will put the screws to their people in the name of “defense”, but defense and Ukraine will get nothing.

[sam_whiskey]

Zelensky took the advice of corrupt Democratic senators and now he is going to reap the whirlwind. I hope it was worth it.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

Fascinating. I just used a search engine to look for a portion of the quote you used in your comment as a bullet point for "President Trump."

Here is the result:

"I could go back to the Oval Office and find out my answer is obsolete."

Anton Gerashchenko ?

[Who is John Galt?]

[marcusmaximus]

Yermak:

Spoke with U.S. Congressman
@RepBrianFitz

Discussed the path toward a just peace and the Mineral Agreement with the U.S. Economic partnership is crucial for both our countries.

There is mutual understanding, and we are moving toward a decision for our leaders to make.

https://x.com/AndriyYermak/status/1896677410244100554