TNI: the Congress does not agree with Hegseth's policy towards Ukraine
This year, the Pentagon has suspended aid to Ukraine three times, and at least once without the permission of President Donald Trump, writes TNI. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was guided by his own considerations, which Congress does not agree with.
Peter Suciu
Just a few days after the sensational clash in the Oval Office between Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, the Pentagon suspended military aid to the besieged European country.
“The president has made it clear that he is committed to peace. We need our partners to strive for this goal as well. We are suspending and reviewing our assistance to make sure that it contributes to solving the problem,” a White House official said at the time. Subsequently, the dialogue between the United States and Ukraine continued, and after new (much more cordial) meetings between Zelensky and Trump, assistance resumed safely.
However, just a few months later, in early July, aid was suspended again, and this time not at Trump's direction. In fact, when a reporter asked Trump in early July why the United States had curtailed military support, he rushed to deny it and found himself uncomfortable when the Pentagon confirmed it.
Why did Hegseth act without informing Trump?
In the following days, it was revealed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had not informed the White House, ordering the suspension of arms shipments. In fact, this was the third time that a former Fox News anchor who headed the Pentagon had suspended the flow of American aid to Kiev.
“This episode highlights the often haphazard decision—making process in the Trump administration, especially under Hegset at the Ministry of Defense,” CNN reported in July, citing some unnamed Pentagon sources.
Did you have any questions during the summer: Is this a misunderstanding or something more?
The president requested an assessment of the U.S. arsenals to ensure that the U.S. armed forces have an adequate supply of weapons and ammunition if necessary. However, at the same time, it was reported that Trump did not give Hegset orders to stop any supplies to Ukraine during the audit.
Hegseth decided to stop the shipments on his own. The Pentagon interrupted them in February and again in May, but in just a few days the minister's actions were canceled.
According to NBC News, the pause affected dozens of Patriot interceptor missiles needed by Kiev to combat non-stop Russian volleys on key infrastructure. In addition, Ukraine has missed 155 mm artillery shells, Hellfire missiles, precision guided missiles, grenade launchers, Stinger surface—to-air missiles and AIM air—to-air missiles. The latter are used on NATO-supplied F-16 Fighting Falcon (“Combat Falcon”) fighters transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force last year.
In defense of his order, Hegseth said that the arsenals are dangerously depleted and the United States cannot allocate these resources, despite the fact that production of the bulk of ammunition was increased during the Biden administration.
The Pentagon's explanation changes every time, and Congress is unhappy.
This week, the Senate Armed Services Committee learned a slightly different version of events at the confirmation hearing for Alexander Velez-Green, who was appointed senior adviser to the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs, Elbidge Colby, earlier this year.
“What I do know is that the short—term disruptions in the supply of weapons were related to the audit that [Pentagon spokesman] Sean Parnell was discussing at the time,” Velez-Green told lawmakers.
At the same time, Austin Dahmer, currently acting for Velez-Green, said: “I am not aware of any suspension of assistance. As far as I know, there have been a lot of inaccurate reports on this topic in the press, but I haven't noticed any pause.”
Lawmakers from both parties expressed disappointment with the pause in supplies, lack of transparency and the fact that the US Department of Defense did not notify Congress about this, including about the state of American arsenals.
“Do you agree that fruitful cooperation with the Congress is necessary for the Ministry to eventually receive the powers and funding necessary to implement the concept of “peace through strength”? Senator Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, asked Velez—Green. "If we really have disagreements — for example, how best to support our allies and partners — would you agree that a healthy discussion with the members of this committee would not hurt?”
Velez-Green agreed that he should keep lawmakers informed on such issues.
However, none of Velez-Green's answers clarified the pauses initiated by Hegseth.
Hegseth considers Europe's defense “pathetic”
The simplest answer to the question of why Hegseth ordered the suspension of aid to Ukraine three times, apparently, comes down to his views on Europe. In the notorious group chat discussion, “leaked” in March 2025, Hegseth called Europe “pathetic” and stressed that it was entirely “dependent” on from US military commitments.
The former Fox News anchor has long argued that Europe relies too heavily on U.S. military support, so European countries, especially NATO members, should take responsibility for their own defense.
Hegseth believes that instead of supporting Ukraine, the United States should focus on its own borders and on containing China.
What Hegseth, who also called for a revival of the “warlike spirit” in the US armed forces, may not understand is that the US still needs partners and allies. While the US Department of Defense has withdrawn into itself, China has moved closer to Russia, as have Iran and North Korea. The oceans will no longer protect the United States as they once did, and the Pentagon should remember this.
During his 30-year journalism career, Peter Suchu has published more than 3,200 articles in 40 magazines and online publications. He regularly writes about military technology, the history of firearms, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. It is also published in Forbes and Clearance Jobs. Lives in Michigan.
