United States Resumes Ukraine Arms Shipments After Brief Pause

The Trump administration has restarted sending critical weapons to Ukraine, just one week after the Pentagon had temporarily halted some deliveries, U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday.

The latest shipments to Ukraine include 155 mm artillery munitions and precision-guided rockets known as Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System. These weapons are crucial for Ukraine as it faces escalating air attacks from Russia, including a recent barrage that saw the largest number of drones fired in a single night in the three-year conflict, officials told The Associated Press.

Russian Attack Sparks Policy U-Turn

The move came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly condemned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for the killings. "Putin is not, he’s not treating human beings right. It’s killing too many people. So we’re sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I’ve approved that," Trump stated, according to AP

The background for the policy reversal was a massive Russian assault on Tuesday night. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles in multiple waves, targeting airfields and other infrastructure. The city of Lutsk, home to Ukrainian military airfields, was reportedly the hardest hit, though ten other regions were also targeted. The attack resulted in at least one death and two injuries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault, noting, "It comes precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace... and yet only Russia continues to rebuff them all."

Confusion Over Weapons 'Pause'

According to AP, the latest U.S. shipments include 155 mm artillery munitions and precision-guided rockets known as the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS). These weapons are vital for Ukraine's defense against escalating Russian air attacks.

The resumption of aid follows a confusing week in Washington. Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a temporary pause on some weapons deliveries for a "review" of Pentagon stockpiles. This halt, which Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell declined to detail, included Patriot missiles, GMLRS, Hellfire missiles, and Howitzer rounds, causing concern among Ukrainian officials, U.S. lawmakers, and even parts of the Trump administration, including the State Department.

The highly sought-after Patriot missiles, for instance, were recently vital in defending a U.S. air base in Qatar from an Iranian ballistic missile attack, according to Al Jazeera 

Initially, President Trump distanced himself from the pause, telling reporters, "I would know if a decision is made... most likely I’d give the order, but I haven’t done that yet."

Trump Vents Frustration As Aid Totals Billions

Following the Russian attack and a recent, tense phone call with Putin that left him "very unhappy," Trump’s tone shifted dramatically. "We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said. "He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the president's comments, telling the BBC, "Trump's way of talking is generally quite harsh... we are pretty calm about this."

Reportedly, 155 mm artillery rounds being sent are a mainstay of the conflict, used in Howitzer systems to strike targets up to 20 miles away. To date, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with over 3 million of these rounds as part of a military assistance package totaling more than $67 billion since Russia's 2022 invasion.