Overview

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order in early February to halt 11 military aid flights to Ukraine, a decision made without formal authorization or President Trump's explicit approval.
• The abrupt pause in shipments caught the White House, Pentagon, and State Department off guard, leading to confusion and urgent inquiries from Ukrainian officials seeking explanations.
• National Security Adviser Mike Waltz intervened within a week to resume the flights, but the cancellations incurred an estimated $2.2 million in wasted transportation costs.
• The White House has defended Hegseth's actions, claiming he followed Trump's directive, though sources and records indicate no formal order was given during a January 30 Oval Office meeting where aid to Ukraine was discussed.
• The incident has intensified criticism of Hegseth's leadership and the Trump administration's ad hoc decision-making processes, with ongoing investigations into broader communication failures and policy ambiguities.