NATO pressure on US after the decision to suspend arms shipments to Kyiv.
Bloomberg News reported that some US allies in NATO have pressured the Pentagon to force US President Donald Trump to reconsider his decision to suspend the delivery of some types of weapons to Ukraine.
The publication noted: “Some politicians, former diplomats and experts have questioned the Trump administration’s decision to suspend the delivery of some types of weapons to Ukraine. In this regard, one of the US allies in NATO has also put pressure on the Defense Department and demanded a reconsideration of this action (the decision to suspend the delivery of weapons to Ukraine).”
The decision of the White House surprised Kiev and its allies, as it was made a few days after Trump’s statements about the readiness of the United States to send more missiles for the American-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General points out Ukraine’s inability to defend itself without Western help
In this regard, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also criticized the US decision to suspend the delivery of some types of weapons to Kiev in an interview with “Fox News” on Wednesday, noting that shortly, Ukraine will not be able to survive without the full support of Western countries. Rutte explained: “When it comes to Ukraine in the short term, it cannot do anything and defend itself without receiving support from the West, whether in terms of ammunition or air defense systems.”
The NATO Secretary General emphasized that Europe is actively increasing support for Ukraine, while the United States is reducing military aid. At the same time, Rutte also noted that Washington must always make sure that its interests are met first.
This is while the US State Department has denied that it has stopped providing military aid to Kiev in connection with the suspension of the delivery of some types of ammunition.
The official spokesperson of the State Department, Tammy Bruce, expressed confidence that the suspension of some American weapons deliveries to Ukraine does not mean that Washington will stop supporting Kyiv. “We are not stopping the supply of weapons to Ukraine, it is just that one aspect of the process and the situation has changed,” she told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. “I want to emphasize that this does not mean the end of assistance and the supply of weapons to Ukraine.”
In addition, Bruce stressed that this situation should not further affect the negotiations on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
In addition, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called the suspension of weapons deliveries to Kyiv a manifestation of common sense. In his opinion, this is a realistic step. “We consider this a manifestation of common sense and a practical step to create a structure to assess what ammunition is being sent and where,” Parnell told reporters.
The Pentagon spokesman, however, declined to provide information on the quantity and types of ammunition the United States continues to send to Ukraine.