US lawmaker demands answers on frozen Ukraine aid
U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, has officially called for an urgent briefing from the White House and the Department of Defense.
Today, I called on the President to address my serious concern regarding reports the United States is withholding critical defense material pledged to Ukraine. This comes as Russia launches the largest aerial assault since the war began, firing over 500 weapons at civilian… pic.twitter.com/H9X9gELbOc
— Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick 🇺🇸 (@RepBrianFitz) July 2, 2025
He seeks clarity on reports that the Pentagon has partially frozen arms shipments intended for Ukraine. Fitzpatrick posted a copy of his letter on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, July 2, according to DW.
According to the congressman, he hopes these institutions will review their weapons and ammunition stockpiles to ensure "the United States remains fully committed to providing Ukraine with the resources it urgently needs to defend its people and uphold the cause of freedom."
The Republican highlighted that Russia is conducting its most extensive air attack since the war began, launching over 500 projectiles at civilian targets across Ukraine in a single week.
"Ukrainian troops aren't just defending their own country – they're holding the front line of freedom. In defending freedom, there's no room for half measures. We must defend peace through strength, as we always have," the politician wrote.
Meanwhile, Department of Defense spokesperson Sean Parnell stated in a briefing that the Pentagon is assessing its capabilities. He noted that this is to ensure that while providing assistance to other nations, it doesn't jeopardize its own security.
"This analysis aims to align U.S. military aid with our defense priorities," he explained. "We consider this a pragmatic and rational step towards establishing a system for evaluating munitions distribution," Parnell added.
He clarified that this evaluation will help President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth make informed decisions. Ultimately, he affirmed the Pentagon's mission is to implement Trump's "America First" agenda and ensure "peace through strength" worldwide.
It's worth noting that on July 1, the Pentagon halted deliveries to Kyiv of Patriot air defense system missiles, Hellfire missiles, and other high-precision artillery munitions. This decision was made due to concerns about insufficient U.S. stockpiles. According to POLITICO, these deliveries had been agreed upon with the Ukrainian side during the Biden administration.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced on July 2 that it had requested a phone call with its American counterparts to clarify the situation. The outcomes of these contacts will be communicated later by the Ukrainian Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs.
On the same day, at the direction of Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned U.S. Chargé d'Affaires John Hinkel to Kyiv. Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa led the meeting. "The Ukrainian side stressed that any delay or postponement in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities only encourages the aggressor to continue the war and terror, rather than seek peace," according to the Ukrainian MFA communiqué.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
