By Charles Switzer
2:57am PDT, May 8, 2025
Hegseth's Mistaken Halt of Military Aid
In the early weeks of President
Donald Trump's second administration, Defense Secretary
Pete Hegseth mistakenly ordered the halt of a military aid shipment to Ukraine, a decision made without final approval, a source familiar with the situation told the
New York Post. The incident, first reported by
Reuters on Tuesday, May 6, involved 11 U.S. military cargo planes that were set to deliver artillery shells and munitions to Ukraine.
The hold-up came after a meeting on January 30th between Trump and top national security officials, including Hegseth. During this meeting, the potential to delay or halt the aid to Ukraine had been discussed, but Trump gave no concrete orders to do so.
According to the source, the halt was a "misunderstanding of the president's orders," which led to confusion and required other administration officials to intervene quickly to resolve the issue.
Here's what happened.
MORE:
Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news
The Fallout of the Pause in Shipments
The decision to halt the aid caused significant concern among Ukrainian and Polish officials, who were left uncertain about the future of the military shipments. By February 2, U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) had grounded the flights, and questions arose regarding the permanence of the suspension.
Ukrainian officials were reportedly spooked by the lack of communication and the grounding of the flights, unsure of whether the pause would last.
However, by February 5, the flights to Qatar from Dover Air Force Base, which were bound for Ukraine resumed, with the shipments successfully reaching their destination.
A Pentagon spokesperson directed
The Post to the White House for comment on the incident while White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt responded to reporters, stating, "Negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine War has been a complex and fluid situation… We are not going to detail every conversation among top administration officials throughout the process."
The Financial Impact of the Flight Halt
Despite the swift resolution, the delay in the shipments had financial consequences. According to a TRANSCOM spokesperson, the grounding of the 11 flights resulted in a loss to U.S. taxpayers of $1.6 million.
However, one canceled flight incurred no charge, partially mitigating the financial impact. This incident drew attention to the challenges and costs associated with miscommunication within the administration, particularly from Pete Hegseth and especially when it comes to military aid operations.
Tensions Between Trump and Zelensky
In March, President Donald Trump further escalated tensions with Ukraine by halting military aid after a heated exchange with Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky. The two had been discussing a potential joint rare-earth mineral deal, but the conversation became contentious when Zelensky prioritized discussions on future "security guarantees" before delving into the details of the agreement.
This reportedly caused Vice President
J.D. Vance and Trump to lash out, resulting in a temporary halt to military aid.
Following this argument, CIA Director
John Ratcliffe announced that the U.S. had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. This decision was later reversed, and military aid was resumed. In late, the Trump administration and Ukraine signed the
rare-earth minerals deal, which included a joint fund to help with Ukraine's reconstruction and investment in the nation's oil and gas industries.
The Larger Geopolitical Context
The issue of military aid to Ukraine continued to be a point of tension, especially as Russia's President
Vladimir Putin proposed a three-day ceasefire to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
U.S. efforts to mediate peace talks between Ukraine and Russia had stagnated, with the U.S. State Department demanding both sides present "concrete ideas" for how the conflict would come to an end.
State Department spokesperson
Tammy Bruce emphasized that it was now up to both Ukraine and Russia to drive the process forward, saying, "Now is the time that they need to present and develop concrete ideas about how this conflict is going to end. It's going to be up to them."
