Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, in his second press briefing since the start of the Trump administration, told reporters Wednesday that as part of a larger Pentagon review the U.S. had halted shipments of air-defense rounds promised to Ukraine.
“What we’ve done here at the Department of Defense is create a framework to analyze what munitions we’re sending where,” Parnell said, stressing that the decision to fulfill munitions obligations still rests with President Donald Trump.
The decision to withhold aid was met with bipartisan shock and questioning on Capitol Hill. The White House confirmed that Elbridge Colby, the under secretary of defense for policy, made the decision earlier this week as part of the review.