A directive from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office led to the grounding of eleven military flights carrying heavy artillery destined for Ukraine, according to a Tuesday report by Reuters.
The abrupt halt in shipments caused urgent back-and-forth communication from Ukrainian officials and a scramble to resume the deliveries. Within a week, the flights were cleared, though the delay came at an additional cost of $2.2 million.
The report indicated the halt stemmed from an informal verbal order issued after a January 30 Oval Office meeting, during which President Donald Trump reportedly raised the possibility of suspending aid to Ukraine. However, no formal directive to cease aid was given, and Trump was reportedly unaware of Hegseth’s decision.
Despite this, the White House told Reuters that Hegseth acted on a broader directive from Trump to pause assistance, which was the administration’s stance at the time.
In a more recent development, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a landmark agreement on April 30 aimed at Ukraine’s reconstruction and long-term economic development. The White House described the deal as a “fully collaborative partnership” designed to benefit both nations.