Pete Hegseth. Photo credit: SOPA IMAGES / SIPA Press / Profimedia
Pete Hegseth, American Defense Secretary, unilaterally stopped a agreed assistance delivery to Ukraine due to unfounded concerns that US weapons are deficient, writes The Guardian, quoted by News.ro.
Democrats have stated that there is no evidence that American weapons are decreasing. “We are not at a point below, from the point of view of stocks, except in the three and a half years of conflict in Ukraine,” said Adam Smith, Democrat and a high-ranking member of the Commission for Armed Services of the Chamber of Representatives. Smith said that his staff has “seen the figures” on weapons deliveries and that there is no justification for suspending the aid granted to Ukraine.
A lot of air defense missiles and other precision ammunition were to be sent to Ukraine. The aid had been promised by the US during the Joe Biden administration last year. But the Pentagon stopped the delivery, and the NBC reported that the decision was taken exclusively by Hegseth, the head of the Pentagon. Former presenter of Fox News, he was previously criticized because he revealed military attack plans on two chat groups on the Signal Messenger application, one of them accidentally including a journalist.
A help stopped three times
According to the NBC, Hegseth has stopped the US military deliveries three times to Ukraine, the last intervention being motivated by the concern that US weapons are too small.
Weapons whose delivery is delayed include dozens of patriotic interceptor missiles that can defend against Russian rocket attacks, as well as howitzers and other missile systems.
When asked on Thursday a reporter on the suspension of deliveries to Ukraine, President Donald Trump said that it was necessary because “Biden emptied the whole country, giving them weapons, and we must make sure we have enough for us.”
A white house spokesman said last week that the decision “was made to put America's interests on the foreground, following a reassessment in the support and military assistance granted by the US to other countries around the world.” However, the same spokesman wanted to remind: “The power of the United States armed forces remains undeniable – Iran asked,” he commented.
“This capacity review is performed to ensure that US military aid is in accordance with our defense priorities,” Pentagon's spokesman Sean Parnell told the reporters on Wednesday. “We consider it a pragmatic and common sense step towards creating a framework for evaluating the sent ammunition and their destination,” added Parnell.
He also seemed to confirm that there is no weapons for the American armed forces at present. “It is known that our army has everything it needs to fulfill any mission, anywhere, anytime, throughout the world,” he said. The Pentagon's decision surprised the members of Congress, as well as Ukraine and European allies.
