The Hill: White House, Pentagon out of sync on Ukraine issues

A growing number of Republican senators are demanding answers after reports revealed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth froze US weapons shipments to Ukraine multiple times without receiving direct authorization from President Donald Trump, raising serious concerns about coordination between the Pentagon and the White House.

The freeze — which reportedly occurred three times since February — has sparked sharp criticism across Capitol Hill, with some lawmakers calling for congressional hearings to determine who made the decision and why Trump was not informed, Caliber.Az reports per the article by The Hill.

“That’s a problem,” said one GOP senator who requested anonymity. “To hear there may have been other pauses or this pause went on longer than any of us know, to me that’s alarming… This is Ukraine. This is like the biggest political debate… This is not something where you have your secretary of Defense or your assistant or your deputy not be in sync with your president.”

The White House reportedly reversed the freeze on July 7, with Trump later telling reporters he was unaware who had ordered it.

Republican sources say Hegseth acted on a misunderstanding of Trump’s intentions, with NBC News reporting that he paused shipments in February, May, and again in July — all without informing key officials, including US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Sen. Thom Tillis, who had supported Hegseth’s nomination in January, expressed deep regret.

“Now with the passing of time, I think it’s clear he’s out of his depth as a manager of a large, complex organization,” he told CNN. “Based on the information… today,” Tillis said he likely would not vote for Hegseth again.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a strong advocate for arming Ukraine, said, “We’ll get to the bottom of that later.” Sen. Todd Young echoed the need for oversight: “We need to do our oversight here… We need to hold hearings and ask questions and learn what’s going on.”

Criticism wasn’t limited to Republicans. Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, said the situation underscored broader dysfunction. 

“My sense is there was miscommunication entirely between the White House and secretary of Defense… It’s an example of miscommunication of really basic instincts and insights about how one manages the Department of Defense and coordinates with the White House.”

Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of Defense for policy and a longtime skeptic of large-scale aid to Ukraine, reportedly supported the freezes. Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg also approved the pause, CNN reported.

Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chair Mitch McConnell commended Trump for reversing the decision. 

“The president will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his administration… and disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid,” he said, appearing to refer to Colby.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that the episode would damage US credibility with allies. 

By Sabina Mammadli