US halts weapons shipments to Ukraine over fears its stockpiles are too low

Volodymyr Zelenskyy standing in front of a US-made Patriot missile system. Ukraine has been coming under increased missile and drone attack from Russia. Photograph: Jens Buttner/Reuters

The Pentagon has halted shipments of US Patriot air defence systems and other precision weapons to Ukraine after concern that US stockpiles were running too low, prompting alarm in Kyiv.

A decision was quietly taken last month by the Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby. Kyiv said halting weapons shipments would only encourage Russian aggression, but the White House said it had been done “to put America’s interests first following a DoD [Department of Defense] review”.