US halts all military shipments to Ukraine
The Economist
The US has suspended all military equipment and ammunition deliveries to Ukraine, including all types of shells and spare parts, The Economist has reported, citing Ukrainian officials. Washington had earlier confirmed a decision to halt certain key arms shipments, citing low stocks.
The decision reportedly followed an internal review of American weapons reserves ordered by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to Politico and NBC News. The initial reports suggested that the decision would stop the supply of Patriot missile interceptors, Stinger and AIM air-to-air missiles, hundreds of Hellfire and GMLRS systems, and thousands of 155mm artillery shells.
According to The Economist, the suspension of military aid was actually total. “Ukrainian officials say that, in fact, all shipments of American weapons, including shells and spare parts, have been halted,” the outlet said on Wednesday, adding that the US officials have denied that.
Washington’s envoy to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, told Fox News on Wednesday that the decision to halt certain aid was made as part of the “America first” policy, aimed at ensuring Washington’s own “strategic defense capabilities.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that “we can’t give weapons to everybody all around the world. We have to look out for America and defending our homeland and our troops around the world.” Neither official provided details about exactly which shipments were suspended.
The move could be part of a bigger plan to end US support for Kiev altogether, The Economist suggested. No money for Ukraine was included in the “big beautiful” budget bill promoted by President Donald Trump, the article pointed out. Funding allocated to support Kiev within the regular Pentagon budget “would be cut further under the budget request for fiscal year 2026,” the outlet said, citing officials.
US support for Ukraine has come mostly in two forms: Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allowed Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, to send weapons to the country out of the Pentagon’s stocks, and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), under which Washington ordered arms from manufacturers.
Trump has made no use of PDA since coming to office in January. The weapons orders made by the previous administration under the USAI would continue US shipments to Ukraine until late 2028, according to The Economist. The magazine asserts that these supplies could now be “interrupted.”
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You would almost think that F-35s were built by Boeing.
Brits fail to fix stranded F-35 stealth fighter in India – media
A British F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter that has been grounded at Thiruvananthapuram Airport in southern India since June 14 will be dismantled and taken back to the UK, the News18 website reported, citing Indian government sources.
With a British field repair crew unable to fix the aircraft, the UK is now exploring the option of airlifting the jet aboard a C-17 Globemaster transport plane, according to NDTV. The jet, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group. It was engaged in operations in the Indo-Pacific region after conducting joint exercises with the Indian Navy.
On June 14, it made an emergency diversion to Thiruvananthapuram due to low fuel levels and hydraulic snags and landed at the city’s airport after encountering bad weather. India’s air force facilitated the safe touchdown of the fighter. The pilot initially refused to leave his plane, a move described as standard protocol since the jet is considered among the most advanced aircraft of its kind.
Last week, the British High Commission in New Delhi said the fighter would be moved to an Air India maintenance hangar once specialist teams and equipment arrived from the UK.
Since being stranded in southern India, the plane has been a topic of ridicule and memes on social media among Indian users. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of the state of Kerala, a popular international tourist destination. On Wednesday, Kerala’s tourism board posted an AI-generated image showing the plane surrounded by palm trees, suggesting that it was as charmed by the state as foreign tourists.
The Royal Air Force is expected to pay the airport authorities parking charges for the aircraft, which is valued at over $110 million. In February, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Washington, US President Donald Trump suggested that New Delhi buy the fifth generation F-35, produced by Lockheed Martin. Some defense analysts in India have recommend the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-57 as a better alternative for the country.
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