US arms shipments to Kyiv briefly paused before resuming over weekend, sources say

By Mike Stone and Erin Banco

(Reuters) - U.S. shipments of weapons into Ukraine were briefly paused in recent days before resuming over the weekend as the Trump administration debated its policy towards Kyiv, according to four people briefed on the matter.

Shipments restarted after the White House pulled back on its initial assessment to stop all aid to Ukraine, two of the sources said.

There are factions inside the administration that are at odds over the extent to which the U.S. should continue to aid Kyiv's war effort with weapons from U.S. stocks, said one of the people, a U.S. official.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  

Halting the flow of U.S. weapons would hinder Kyiv's ability to fight, and put it in a less advantaged negotiation position in peace talks.

It is unclear if the Trump administration will formally acknowledge the pause and subsequent resumption of shipments.

In his final months in office, Biden approved on average more than $1 billion in U.S. weapons pulled from U.S. stocks for Ukraine. Even more if new contracts for future production are included.

Ukraine weapons assistance from the U.S. has been facilitated in part through the use of Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the President to quickly transfer weapons and equipment from U.S. stocks to foreign countries without the need for congressional approval.

Since Donald Trump took office, no packages have been announced, but shipments authorized by Joe Biden were thought to continue to flow - and would for months - due to the backlog.

The revelation of the brief pause is the first outward sign of the intensity of the debate within the Trump administration.

The Trump administration has not sent a clear message on whether it will continue to provide significant military assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.

Since the start of the conflict, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars' worth of military aid, including artillery systems, ammunition, and anti-tank missiles.

U.S. assistance has had a significant impact on the conflict, with Ukrainian forces using the equipment to inflict significant losses on Russian troops and equipment.

The drawdown of U.S. stocks has also raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of the U.S.'s military aid efforts.

(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington and Erin Banco in New York, Editing by Nick Zieminski)