Pause in U.S. Weapons Deepens Ukrainian Concerns as Russian Attacks Grow

A few months ago, Oleh Voroshylovskyi, the commander of a Ukrainian unit tasked with shooting down Russian drones attacking Kyiv, received a coveted American weapon to aid in their mission — a Browning machine gun capable of firing rounds at targets over a mile away.

Not only would it help the unit target Russian drones at higher altitudes, it also symbolized America’s support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.

But after the Trump administration’s announcement on Tuesday of a pause in the delivery of some air defense interceptors and other weapons to Ukraine because of dwindling U.S. stockpiles, Mr. Voroshylovskyi is no longer sure about America’s continued support.

“This will have a serious impact on combat effectiveness,” he said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

The deliveries now on hold were all allocated under the Biden administration, and Mr. Trump has not approved new military aid packages for Ukraine. Washington had committed to delivering as much as $11 billion in weapons and equipment to Ukraine this year.

Among the munitions now being withheld are missiles for U.S.-designed Patriot air defense systems, precision artillery rounds and other missiles that Ukraine fires from its American-made F-16 fighter jets. Although it is unclear how many weapons were included, the signal seems clear: Washington is disengaging from the war.