Multiple news outlets, including the Daily Kos, Al Mayadeen, The New Republic, The Independent, and the Brookings Institution, report on a controversial decision made by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to temporarily halt shipments of military aid to Ukraine. This action, taken shortly after President Trump’s second term began, apparently occurred without the direct knowledge or approval of President Trump or other senior national security officials, causing confusion within the administration and concern in Ukraine. While the White House claimed Hegseth was acting under a general directive from the President, sources indicate a lack of coordination and a haphazard policy-making process, with some attributing the pause to anti-interventionist advisors within the Pentagon and the cost of the disruption is estimated to be over a million dollars. Meanwhile, public opinion polling suggests Americans largely support Ukraine and continued aid, viewing Trump as more sympathetic to Russia, despite a recent ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted but Russia rejected.
