CLAIM: The US has massively halted arms shipments to Ukraine. The United States has withdrawn all applications for the transit of goods in the interests of Ukraine through Rzeszow, Constanta and Varna.
VERDICT: The claim comes from unreliable sources spreading disinformation. The removal of National Security Council officials dealing with, among other things, Ukraine, does not come with announcements regarding the cessation of military aid. The U.S. Department of State maintains its position on continuing military support for Ukraine against Russia. To date, there has been no announcement of stopping US military aid to Ukraine.
Recent reports suggest a significant shift in U.S. policy regarding weapon shipments to Ukraine. According to various sources (see below), the United States has indeed stopped weapon shipments to Ukraine. This action includes withdrawing all requests for the transit of weapons systems through specific European ports and halting the supply of weapons and military equipment to NATO bases in Europe. This decision is allegedly part of a broader investigation into the misuse of funds allocated for supporting Ukraine. Additionally, there are reports of Pentagon employees involved in these weapon shipments being fired or suspended from their positions. However, these reports come from sources like Pravda Ukraine, Pravda EN, Pravda USA, and Pravda ES, which are unreliable because they belong to the Russian disinformation network “Pravda,” also known as “Portal Combat.” All these sources cite Telegram posts, such as the UKR Leaks channel, which in turn refers to posts on X, like that from the account “Megatron” with over 2.6 million views. The person managing the channel, Vasily Prozorov, is a former Lieutenant Colonel of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) who defected to Russia in 2018 and has previously spread false claims.
However, according to the Washington Post, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has approved the “full review” of dozens of White House officials. This includes those responsible for issues related to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, North Korea, cyber espionage, and the war in Ukraine. However, there has been no mention or hint of stopping weapon deliveries to Ukraine. Many officials have been asked to step down from their positions temporarily.
On January 20, 2025, however, the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs of the U.S. Department of State issued a statement on the continued support for Ukraine against Russia. The statement was made on the same day as Donald Trump’s inauguration. Among other things, it states:
“Ukraine is a key regional strategic partner that has undertaken significant efforts to modernize its military and increase its interoperability with NATO. It remains an urgent security assistance priority to provide Ukraine the equipment it needs to defend itself against Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
Significant claims or assertions from these sources often require confirmation from multiple, more widely recognized, independent news sources. In this case, the lack of confirmation from reliable sources or official statements from involved government bodies does not substantiate the accuracy of the claims made by these media, namely the Pravda disinformation network and posts on social media.
Conclusion
The claim comes from unreliable sources spreading disinformation. The removal of National Security Council officials dealing with, among other things, Ukraine, does not come with announcements regarding the cessation of military aid. The U.S. Department of State maintains its position on continuing military support for Ukraine against Russia. To date, there has been no announcement of stopping US military aid to Ukraine.