As Reuters has learned, it was US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who ordered the temporary suspension of military aid to Ukraine. US leader Donald Trump was not even aware of this decision.
Points of attention
- Senior American officials were unable to explain the halt in aid, leading to confusion and speculation about the motives behind the decision.
- After a week of uncertainty, it was revealed that the order to stop aid flights came directly from the office of Pete Hegseth, sparking further questions about accountability and oversight.
Hegsete arbitrarily makes important decisions regarding Ukraine
Just 7 days after Donald Trump returned to the White House, the head of the Pentagon gave an order to 3 cargo airlines based at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and at a US base in the United Arab Emirates.
They were ordered to stop 11 flights loaded with artillery shells and other weapons heading to Ukraine.
Panic quickly broke out in Kyiv and Warsaw, where deliveries were coordinated:
Who ordered the US Transportation Command, known as TRANSCOM, to halt flights? Is this a permanent pause in all aid? Or just some?
Senior American officials—including from the White House, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the State Department—could not explain what was happening. A week passed, and flights resumed.
It later became known that the verbal order came from the office of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
