Approximately one week after Donald Trump commenced his second term as president, the U.S. military directed three freight airlines operating from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and a U.S. base in the United Arab Emirates to cease 11 flights carrying artillery shells and other military supplies destined for Ukraine.
In just a few hours, urgent inquiries flooded Washington from Ukrainians in Kyiv and officials in Poland, where the shipments were being organized. Who had instructed the U.S. Transportation Command, known as TRANSCOM, to suspend the flights? Was this a permanent halt to all assistance, or just a partial one?
Senior national security officials in the White House, Pentagon, and State Department were unable to provide clarity. Within a week, the flights resumed. The verbal directive originated from the office of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as indicated by TRANSCOM records reviewed by Reuters. The cancellations followed a January 30 Oval Office meeting regarding Ukraine, which included Hegseth and other senior national security officials, according to three sources familiar with the matter. During this meeting, the possibility of halting aid to Ukraine was discussed, as reported by two individuals with knowledge of the meeting, but the president did not give any orders to stop assistance to Ukraine.
The president, along with other senior national security officials present at the meeting, was not informed of Hegseth’s directive, as reported by two sources familiar with the private discussions at the White House. When asked for a comment, the White House informed that Hegseth acted on a directive from Trump to suspend aid to Ukraine, which was the administration’s stance at that time.
However, it did not clarify why key national security officials involved in the usual decision-making process were unaware of this order or why it was quickly rescinded. Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, stated, ‘Negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine War has been a complex and evolving situation. We will not disclose every conversation among senior administration officials during this process.’ She added, ‘Ultimately, the war is significantly closer to resolution now than it was when President Trump assumed office.’
According to records reviewed by Reuters, the cancellations resulted in a cost of $2.2 million for TRANSCOM. In response to inquiries, TRANSCOM reported the total cost as $1.6 million, noting that 11 flights were canceled, with one flight incurring no charge. An official order to halt military aid authorized under the Biden administration was announced a month later, on March 4. The account of the flight cancellations, detailed by Reuters for the first time, highlights a sometimes chaotic policy-making process within the Trump administration and a command structure that remains unclear even to its own senior officials.
The multi-day suspension of flights, confirmed by five knowledgeable sources, also illustrates the confusion surrounding the administration’s approach to national security policy. At the Pentagon, this disarray is widely recognized, with many current and former officials indicating that the department is beset by internal conflicts over foreign policy, longstanding grievances, and a lack of experienced personnel.
According to two sources, Ukrainian and European officials began inquiring about the suspension on February 2. Records from TRANSCOM suggest that a verbal directive from the Secretary of Defense halted the flights, which resumed by February 5. Mark Cancian, a retired Marine officer and defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, commented, ‘This aligns with the administration’s approach of acting swiftly, causing disruptions, and resolving issues afterward. This strategy may work well in Silicon Valley, but it poses challenges for long-established institutions.’
The halt in shipments raised concerns in Kyiv, prompting the Ukrainians to reach out to the administration through various channels, yet they struggled to receive any substantial information, as noted by a Ukrainian official familiar with the matter. In subsequent discussions, the administration attributed the pause to ‘internal politics,’ according to the source. The process of shipping American arms to Ukraine necessitates approval from several agencies and can take weeks or even months, depending on the cargo size.
Most U.S. military aid is routed through a logistics center in Poland before being collected by Ukrainian representatives for transport into Ukraine. This center can retain shipments for prolonged durations. It remains uncertain whether the 11 canceled flights were the only ones planned for that week in February, how much aid was already stored in Poland, and whether it continued to be delivered to Ukraine despite the TRANSCOM orders.
The disclosures emerge during a turbulent period within the department. On April 15, several of Hegseth’s senior advisors were removed from the premises following allegations of unauthorized sharing of classified information. The secretary remains under scrutiny, including from Congress, regarding his own communications. He has previously attributed claims of turmoil to dissatisfied employees.
flights canceled
The canceled flights included weapons that had received prior approval from the Biden administration and were sanctioned by lawmakers. Three sources familiar with the matter indicated that Hegseth misinterpreted conversations with the president concerning Ukraine policy and aid deliveries, without providing further details. Additionally, four individuals briefed on the situation mentioned that a small group of staff members within the Pentagon, many of whom lack prior government experience and have historically opposed U.S. aid to Ukraine, advised Hegseth to contemplate halting assistance to the nation.
However, two individuals familiar with the situation refuted the notion of a genuine cessation of aid, characterizing it instead as a logistical pause. One source explained, ‘They simply wanted to gain clarity on the situation, and as a result, people misinterpreted that as: ‘You need to stop everything.’
As reported by two informed sources, Hegseth attended the Oval Office meeting with Trump on January 30, bringing along a memo prepared by his senior policy advisers. This memo suggested that the administration consider halting weapons deliveries to Ukraine to enhance leverage in peace talks with Russia. The meeting included other key officials involved in Ukraine policy, such as National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg. They broadly discussed U.S. strategies regarding Ukraine and Russia, including the possibility of imposing stricter sanctions on Moscow.
While it remains unclear how strongly Hegseth advocated for the cessation of aid during the meeting, the topic was mentioned, according to one source and another individual familiar with the discussions. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the U.S. has authorized billions in military assistance to Ukraine, primarily under the Biden administration, although some shipments are still scheduled for this summer. Trump had previously threatened to halt aid during his campaign but had not yet acted on it.
During the meeting, he again chose not to stop aid to Ukraine or direct Hegseth to make any policy changes regarding the provision of equipment to Kyiv, as per the sources. Typically, a decision to freeze military support for an ally would involve extensive discussions among senior national security officials and require presidential approval, along with coordination among various agencies and freight companies.
However, no such discussions or coordination took place when Hegseth’s office canceled the planned flights transporting American artillery shells and ammunition to Poland from the Al Udeid military base in the UAE and the Dover U.S. military base in Delaware, according to three sources.
The halt occurred as Ukraine’s military faced challenges against Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the significant conflict for the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukrainian troops were losing territory and have nearly been driven out. Close advisers to Trump were alerted to the pause by Pentagon personnel and deliberated with the president about the possibility of resuming the aid shipments, as reported by two sources. At that point, TRANSCOM had already canceled 11 flights, according to records، Reuters reported.
Several media organizations, including Reuters, reported on the pause, but Hegseth’s involvement was not previously disclosed. It remains uncertain whether Trump later questioned or reprimanded Hegseth. A source with direct knowledge indicated that National Security Adviser Waltz ultimately stepped in to reverse the cancellations. Waltz was dismissed on Thursday and is anticipated to be nominated as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Increasing internal conflict
Upon Trump’s inauguration, assistance to Ukraine persisted, and he committed to collaborating with both Ukraine and Russia to resolve the conflict, or at the very least, to negotiate a ceasefire. His notable representatives, Kellogg, a Kyiv supporter from his initial administration, and Steve Witkoff, a real estate tycoon and close associate of the president, embarked on negotiations with both sides.
Meanwhile, at the Pentagon, some of Hegseth’s policy advisors began drafting plans to reduce American support for Ukraine, as reported by two informed sources. This group of advisors closely adheres to an anti-interventionist stance, with some having previously counseled Republican legislators who promote an America-first foreign policy. They have publicly advocated for the U.S. to withdraw from military engagements in the Middle East and Europe, a sentiment echoed by Vice President JD Vance.
Several have suggested that the U.S. should concentrate its efforts on China instead. Supporters of these advisors have criticized those opposing the anti-interventionist agenda within the administration, arguing that Vance and others are merely attempting to protect lives in conflict zones like Ukraine and avert further American military casualties. This internal conflict has complicated the policy-making process, according to one individual familiar with the situation and four additional sources.
As Kellogg and Witkoff strive to negotiate a peace agreement with Russia and Ukraine, these advisors have been quietly advocating for a reduction in U.S. support for Kyiv, a stance that has frustrated Ukrainian officials and compelled European allies to step in, according to five individuals knowledgeable about the circumstances.
The United States has finalized an agreement with Kyiv regarding the rights to its rare earth minerals, which U.S. officials describe as a strategy to recover funds expended in support of Ukraine’s military efforts.
Dan Caldwell, a former staff member who advocated for reducing support for Kyiv, was removed from the Pentagon following allegations of a leak he asserts did not occur. Caldwell, a veteran, was a key advisor to Hegseth, particularly on matters related to Ukraine.
Despite a temporary halt in February and a more extended pause starting in early March, the Trump administration has resumed the distribution of the remaining aid authorized under President Joe Biden, with no new policy changes announced.
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