Reuters: US military assistance to Ukraine was stopped by Pentagon Head

The order on temporary suspension of supply of military assistance to Ukraine left the office of Pentagon Pitat Hegset, the White House did not know about him.

Source: Reuters« European Truth »

Details: About a week after Donald Trump began his second presidential term, the US military issued three freight airlines based on Daver Air Force in Delaware and on the American base in the United Arab Emirates, stopping 11 flights loaded with artillery.

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In a few hours, Washington received panic questions from Ukrainians in Kiev and from officials in Poland, where deliveries were coordinated. Who ordered the US transport command known as Transcom to stop flights? Is it a constant pause in providing all help? Are only parts?

Higher national security officials – in the White House, Pentagon and the State Department – could not answer. The flights have recovered during the week.

According to Transcom, which Reuters checked, the oral order came from the Office of Defense Minister Pitt Hegset.

The suspension of supplies took place after Trump completed a meeting on Ukraine on January 30, in which Hegset and other high -ranking officials on national security participated, according to three sources aware of the situation. During the meeting, the idea of ​​termination of assistance to Ukraine was expressed, two persons aware of the meeting, but the President did not give any instructions to stop assistance to Ukraine.

The President did not know about Hegset’s order, as well as other national security officials who participated in the meeting, according to two sources, familiar with closed discussions in the White House, and other sources that had direct information about the case.

According to those who communicated with Reuters, it was not explained why national security officials who usually participate in the decision -making process were not known about this order and why it was so quickly abolished.

According to Reuters, the cancellation of flights cost Transcom 2.2 million dollars.

Order to terminate military assistance approved by Biden administration, officially The month afterMarch 4, after the White House was announced and after a scandalous meeting in the oval office with President Vladimir Zelensky.

The history of the cancellation, for the first time, describes the Reuters in detail in the time the chaotic process of decision -making in Trump administration and the structure of the command, which is not clear even by its own high -ranking officials.

Reuters failed to establish when the Hegsset’s office ordered to cancel freight flights. Two sources reported that Ukrainian and European officials began to ask for suspension on February 2. According to Transcom, an oral order from « Secdef » was obtained – the Minister of Defense – about the stop of flights that resumed on February 5.

In further conversations with the Ukrainians, the administration wrote this pause for « domestic policy », the source said.

These disclosures appeared during the shocking in the Pentagon. Several Hegsset’s leading advisers were withdrawn from the building on April 15 after accusing unauthorized disclosure of secret information. Hegset continues to be close attention, including from Congress, regarding his own communications. Earlier, he explained the accusations of shocks dissatisfied.

The canceled flights contained weapons that have long been approved by Biden administration and sanctioned by lawmakers at the Capitol.

Reuters could not determine whether the Hegset or his team knew how Transcom order would be executed and that this order would be a significant change in the US policy on Ukraine. Three sources, aware of the situation, said Hegset had misinterpreted the discussion with the President on Ukraine policy and assistance.

Four other persons, acquainted with the situation, said that a small group of Pentagon staff, many of whom have never worked in government positions and have opposed US assistance for years, advised Hegset to consider suspension of assistance to the country.

Two people who were aware of the situation denied that the assistance was indeed stopped. One of them called it a logistics pause.

Some media including Reuters, wrote about suspension in the supply of assistancebut the role of Hegset was previously unknown.

It is unclear whether Trump later questioned Hegset’s actions or reprimanded him. One source, directly aware of this issue, reported that national security advisor Mike Volz eventually intervened to cancel the order.