**US Halts Major Arms Transfer to Ukraine Due to Patriot Missile Shortage**
The United States has put on hold a significant transfer of military equipment to Ukraine, citing a critical shortage of Patriot missile interceptors. According to the Guardian, this decision was made after an internal review revealed that the Pentagon’s stockpiles of these crucial air defense systems had fallen below acceptable levels.
**Recent US Operations in the Middle East Contribute to Shortage**
The depletion of Patriot interceptor stocks is largely attributed to recent US operations in the Middle East. These include the interception of Iranian missiles following strikes on the American Al Udeid airbase in Qatar. The Pentagon’s munitions tracker, used to measure minimum supplies needed for US war plans, showed that Patriot levels had dropped below required thresholds.
**US Defense Readiness Concerns**
The concerns raised by this shortage are significant, as they suggest that sending more Patriot missiles to Ukraine could put US defense readiness at risk. As a result, the freeze on arms transfers has been implemented, affecting both drawdowns from Pentagon stockpiles and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows the Defense Department to order new weapons from contractors.
**Ukraine Relies Heavily on Western-Supplied Air Defenses**
This decision comes at a critical time for Ukraine as Russia intensifies large-scale aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities. With limited options to acquire precision-guided and other key munitions, Ukrainian forces have increasingly relied on Western-supplied air defenses to counter the growing threat.
**Limited Options for Ukrainian Forces**
Ukraine’s recent aid package from the US had planned to send dozens of Patriot interceptors, along with Hellfire missiles, air-to-air Sparrows, GMLRS rockets, and anti-tank weapons. However, due to years-long delays in new weapon orders taking priority over Ukrainian requests, these supplies have been put on hold.
**Trump Promises 10 Patriot Interceptors**
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump has reportedly promised to send 10 Patriot interceptors to Ukraine. This pledge was made despite internal assessments showing that the aid would not compromise American military readiness. However, sources close to the matter told Axios that Trump claimed he wasn’t behind the decision to halt arms transfers in a recent phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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