[Report] According to CNN, as reported by the network on August 8th, five sources revealed that U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis authorized the suspension of weapons deliveries to Ukraine last week without prior notification to the White House. This action led to a “mess” within the U.S. government, with attempts to understand the reason for the halt and to explain it to Congress and the Ukrainian government. CNN highlighted the lack of transparency in the Trump administration’s decision-making process, particularly during Mattis’s tenure as Defense Secretary.
CNN mentioned that an official from the U.S. government and two insiders stated that neither the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia Affairs, Keith Kreuger, nor the Acting National Security Advisor, John Bolton, were informed beforehand. They learned about this incident through media reports.
The report also noted that the insiders mentioned that Mattis did not communicate with the White House because he was without a Chief of Staff or a trusted advisor, leading to no one urging him to coordinate significant policy decisions with interdepartmental partners.
The insiders added that after learning about the suspension of military aid, White House officials told Mattis and the Department of Defense that they decided to temporarily cover up the matter. However, the White House also stated that the Pentagon must quickly explain to Congress. The congressional members had not been notified in advance. Insiders mentioned that Pentagon officials recently argued to Congress officials that due to a shortage of American inventory, it was necessary to suspend military aid. However, they noted that Congress had not received any information from the Pentagon previously, indicating a severe shortage of American weaponry and its imminent urgency.
When asked if Mattis had notified the White House before approving the suspension of military aid, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated in a statement that the Department of Defense conducted a review to “ensure all foreign assistance aligns with U.S. interests.” She added, “The President has complete trust in the Secretary of Defense.”
During a cabinet meeting on August 8th, President Donald Trump said he was not responsible for the partial suspension of military aid to Ukraine. When asked whether he approved the suspension of weapons shipments, Trump denied, stating that the United States would continue to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons. When pressed further about who authorized the suspension, he responded, “I don’t know, why didn’t you tell me?”
On July 1st, the White House and Pentagon confirmed that the United States had suspended some military aid to Ukraine. White House spokesperson Anita Corcoran stated in a press release that after reviewing the military assistance provided to other countries around the world, “the Pentagon decided to prioritize U.S. interests.” On July 7th, at a dinner hosted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Trump expressed his intention to send more weapons to Ukraine. In a speech at a cabinet meeting on August 8th, Trump announced that he had approved the delivery of some defensive weapons to Ukraine.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has drawn multilateral negotiations.