Donald Trump caught "flat-footed" by Pentagon's Ukraine weapons pause

President Donald Trump has ordered the resumption of U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine after being caught "flat-footed" by a Pentagon The decision to pause deliveries of key munitions, three people familiar with the internal discussions told the Associated Press.

Last week, the Pentagon announced it would temporarily withhold shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided GMLRS rockets, Hellfire missiles, Howitzer rounds, and other defensive aid due to concerns over diminishing U.S. stockpiles. The pause came at a particularly vulnerable time for Ukraine, which is facing intensified air assaults by Russia in the war's fourth year.

The move blindsided the White House and reportedly frustrated the president, sources told AP.

But the pause was not universally embraced within the Pentagon. Two individuals with knowledge of the matter said there was internal opposition to the decision, which was coordinated by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. One of them said Trump had not been informed in advance and was blindsided by the announcement.

The reversal came quickly. On Monday night, Trump publicly acknowledged Ukraine's urgent need for assistance, saying: "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now."

The president's frustration seemed to spill into public view on Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting. When CNN Kaitlan Collins asked who approved the pause, and Trump responded curtly: 'I don't know. Why don't you tell me?'

As of Tuesday, the Pentagon had not commented on whether the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had consulted with the White House prior to last week's pause, or on the exact timeline for resumed deliveries.

Pentagon Hurries to Resume Shipments

By late Monday, the Pentagon confirmed that, at Trump's direction, it would resume the weapons shipments. "This ensures the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops," said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. He added that a broader review of U.S. global military aid remains underway as part of the president's "America First" priorities.

It remains unclear which specific weapons will now be included in the resumed shipments, although Trump said assistance would focus primarily on defensive systems.

Behind the scenes, Pentagon officials continued to assess stockpile s. A U.S. official familiar with the process said that each military service and combatant command—the regional hubs overseeing U.S. operations worldwide—was still submitting data to Pentagon leadership on Tuesday. "They are literally still doing the math," the official said.

That data was compiled using a "stoplight" chart — color-coded red, yellow, or green — to indicate ammunition availability. An earlier version of the chart from the week prior had already shown certain munitions were reaching critically low levels.

Getting accurate counts has been complicated by overlapping jurisdiction. For example, Patriot missiles are tracked by the Army, but when they are reassigned to combatant commands like U.S. Central Command, tracking them becomes difficult. Army spokesman Steve Warren confirmed those challenges, saying that increasing Patriot missile production has been "difficult."

Warren also acknowledged that the Army's effort to increase production of 155mm artillery shells is falling behind schedule. The service originally aimed to reach 100,000 shells per month by the end of 2025, but that goal has now been pushed back to 2026.

Trump Sharpens Tone towards Putin

Talks between Moscow and Kyiv have been stalled for months.

In addition to recalibrating his approach to weapons aid, Trump also adopted a sharper tone against Russian President. Vladimir Putin during the Cabinet meeting. The two leaders spoke by phone last week, but Trump appears increasingly frustrated.

"We get a lot of bull--- thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said. He is very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.

Trump has threatened economic measures aimed at pressuring Putin to return to peace talks. The bipartisan Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, in the Senate , has 80 cosponsors and is gaining significant support from both sides of the aisle.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said last week that Trump has endorsed his legislative push for a 500% tariff on goods from countries that continue to purchase Russian oil. If enacted, the measure would significantly impact nations like China and India, which have become major buyers of Russian crude. Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he's "looking at it very strongly."

Lawmakers Respond to Trump's Reversal

The Pentagon's abrupt pause and the equally swift reversal caught not just allies and Ukrainian officials off guard, but also several members of Congress .

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican from Kentucky, issued a statement supporting the resumed aid but called for a more resolute stance. "This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons," McConnell said. "And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production."

This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.

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Trump caught off guard by Pentagon's abrupt move to pause Ukraine weapons deliveries, AP sources say

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's decision to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine came after he privately expressed frustration with Pentagon officials for announcing a pause in some deliveries last week - a move that he felt was not properly coordinated with the White House, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The Pentagon, which announced last week that it would hold back some air defense missiles , precision-guided artillery and other weapons pledged to Ukraine because of what U.S. officials said were concerns about American stockpiles were in short supply. Trump said Monday that the U.S. will have to send more weapons to Ukraine, effectively reversing the move.

Two of the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive internal discussions, said there was some internal opposition among Pentagon officials to the pause — coordinated by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby — before it was announced.

One of the people described Trump as being caught "flat-footed" by the announcement. The White House did not respond to queries about whether Trump was surprised by the Pentagon pause.

The pause in critical weapons deliveries had come at a difficult moment for Ukraine , which has faced increasingly complex air barrages from Russia during the more than three-year-old war. Trump acknowledged this when announcing the reversal on Monday night, saying, "They have to be able to defend themselves. They are being hit very hard now."

Asked by a reporter on Tuesday who approved the pause, Trump bristled at the question while he was gathered with his Cabinet. "I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"

Trump's change in tone towards Putin

The president also attacked Russian President Vladimir Putin , suggesting that he was unnecessarily prolonging the war that Trump has said he is determined to quickly conclude. Trump has struggled to find a resolution, with talks between the sides stalled .

The Republican leader has sounded increasingly exasperated with Putin in recent days. The two spoke by phone last week.

We get a lot of bull---- thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting. "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.

He has threatened, but held off on, imposing new sanctions against Russia's oil industry in an attempt to push Putin toward peace talks.

Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C., said last week that Trump has given him the go-ahead to proceed with a bill he is co-sponsoring that calls, in part, for a 500% tariff on goods imported from countries that continue to buy Russian oil. The move would have huge ramifications for China and India, two economic powerhouses that buy Russian oil.

Trump said Tuesday that he's "looking at it very strongly."

Pentagon says it is going to resume shipments to Ukraine

The weapons pause announced last week affected shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided GMLRS, Hellfire missiles and Howitzer rounds and more, taking not only Ukrainian officials and others allies by surprise but also U.S. lawmakers and other parts of the Trump administration, including the State Department.

The Pentagon said late Monday that, at Trump's direction, it would resume weapons shipments to Ukraine "to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops." Still, spokesman Sean Parnell added that its review for Trump to evaluate military shipments worldwide continues as part of "America First" defense priorities.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth consulted with the White House prior to pausing weapons shipments and whether or not those shipments have now resumed.

It's also unclear which weaponry would now be sent, though Trump said that the U.S. will primarily be assisting Ukraine with defensive weapons.

Counting the weapons

On Tuesday, each of the services and the combatant commands — the multiservice organizations that spearhead U.S. military operations around the world — were still sending up information on their stockpiles of specific munitions to Pentagon leadership, a U.S. official said.

"They are literally still doing the math," the official said.

The information was being presented on a stoplight chart — where munitions were either in a red, yellow or green status, similar to slides that had been created the week before, the official said. That earlier study had concluded that some munitions were OK to keep sending to Ukraine — but others were reaching concerning levels.

Getting a full visibility on the numbers of actual munitions on hand takes time, the official said, because while Patriot missiles, for example, initially belong to the Army, once they are requested and sent to a combatant command, such as U.S. Central Command, the service loses visibility on those numbers in inventory.

The vast majority of the munitions and weapons the U.S. has shipped to Ukraine have been pulled from the Army, which has closely monitored levels in recent years, particularly for high-demand items like 155mm artillery shells and Patriot missiles for air defenses.

It has been harder for the Army to ramp up production on those items than had been planned: It was trying to hit a goal of producing 100,000 155mm shells a month by the end of 2025 but won't meet that goal until 2026, Army spokesman Steve Warren said.

Ramping up Patriot missile production has also been challenging, Warren said.

Sen. Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., said in a statement on Tuesday that he was glad Trump was resuming deliveries to Ukraine.

This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons," McConnell said. "And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production.

___

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

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Donald Trump wins Iran war powers victory

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate on Friday rejected a Democratic effort to limit President Donald Trump authority to launch further military action against Iran—just hours after Trump said he was weighing additional airstrikes.

The chamber voted 53–47 against the war powers resolution, which would have required the president to seek congressional approval for any new hostilities against Iran. Every senator cast a vote, but the tally remained open late into the evening.

In a notable split, Democrat John Fetterman broke with his party to vote "no," while Republican Rand Paul crossed the aisle to vote "yes."

Why It Matters

The vote came days after Trump ordered airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, escalating tensions amid Iran's conflict with Israel. Iran retaliated by firing missiles at a U.S. military Based in Qatar on Monday.

Although Tehran and Tel Aviv agreed to a ceasefire on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces have since accused Iran of breaching that agreement and have threatened strikes on Tehran in response—an accusation Iran's military denies.

The Senate's decision marks a clear victory for the White House and shows how much latitude both Republicans and some Democrats are willing to let Trump take unilateral military action against Iran.

What To Know

The measure, sponsored by Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia would have invoked the War Powers Act—the 1973 law designed to limit a president's authority to enter armed conflicts without congressional consent. It would have required the White House to notify lawmakers and secure approval from both the House and Senate before U.S. forces could take any additional military action against Iran.

Many Democrats, and even some Republicans, argued that the White House should have sought congressional approval before authorizing last weekend's strike. They point out that the Constitution gives Congress --not the president--the power to declare war, and say the War Powers Act exists to stop presidents from sidestepping that responsibility.

Under the Constitution, war powers are divided but not always clearly defined. Article I, Section 8 gives Congress the power "to declare war," "raise and support armies," "provide and maintain a navy," and "make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces." This means Congress has the explicit authority to decide when the U.S. goes to war. But the last time Congress formally declared war was World War II. Since then, military actions—from Korea and Vietnam to Iraq, Libya, and Syria—have typically been carried out under broad authorizations, U.N. resolutions, or purely at the president's discretion.

At the same time, Article II, Section 2 names the president as "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States." This gives the president broad authority to direct the military once it is in action.

In 1973, after the Vietnam War, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution to rein in presidential war-making. It requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying troops and limits such deployments to 60 days—with a 30-day withdrawal period—unless Congress explicitly approves or declares war. Still, presidents of both parties have often argued that the War Powers Act is unconstitutional, or they've simply ignored its requirements.

During his first term, Trump twice vetoed measures passed under the War Powers Act, including one aimed specifically at restricting his ability to strike Iran. Congress wrestled with similar questions in 2011, when President Obama Barack Obama ordered airstrikes on Libya without explicit approval, drawing criticism that he had exceeded his authority.

This time, the Trump administration has enjoyed strong backing from Republican leaders on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Mike Johnson The text is already in English and does not require translation. Therefore, the output should be:

But some Republicans disagree. Senator Rand Paul cited the framers' original intent to keep war-making powers in the hands of Congress. "Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers that the executive is the branch most prone to war. Therefore, the Constitution, with studied care, vested that power in the legislature," Paul said, explaining his rare break with his party.

In turn, the Trump administration argues that the president already possesses all the authority he needs. In a letter to Congress this week, Trump invoked his constitutional powers as commander-in-chief and his responsibility for foreign policy, framing the Iran strike as an act of "collective self-defense of our ally, Israel."

What People Are Saying

Republican Senator John Barrasso said on the Senate floor: "Democrats, of course, rushed to turn this successful strike into a political fight. National security moves fast. That's why our Constitution says: 'Give the commander in chief real authority.'"

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen What would we have said if Iran or any other country had flown bombers over our country and struck our facilities? We would rightly call it what it was: an act of war.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine War is too big an issue to leave to the moods and the whims and the daily vibes of any one person.

What Happens Next

Efforts to rein in Trump's military powers are also underway in the House, where similar measures have been introduced, but they face uncertain prospects in a Republican-led chamber unlikely to defy the White House.

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