File photo: US President Donald Trump with Ukrainian President Zelensky
The Pentagon is considering whether to send some weapons originally intended for Ukraine to the Middle East as the war in Iran puts pressure on U.S. stockpiles of key weapons, The Washington Post reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
air defense interceptor Among the weapons under review
According to the report, the weapons that may be redirected include air defense interceptor missiles ordered through a NATO-backed program launched last year, under which partner countries buy US-made weapons for Kiev.
The report said no final decision has been made, but such a move would underline the trade-offs facing Washington as it tries to continue military operations in the Middle East while maintaining support for Ukraine.
nato ‘s PURL program is seen as a potential pressure point
The Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative was established last year to keep selected US military equipment flowing to Ukraine even after the Trump administration reduced most of the Pentagon’s direct security assistance to Kiev.The program allows partner countries to purchase US weapons for Ukraine, with European allies playing a larger role in funding and arming Ukrainian forces since Trump returned to office.A NATO official responding to questions from The Washington Post did not directly say whether the alliance was aware of concerns over the potential change, but said the country “continues to contribute to PURL and equipment continues to flow to Ukraine.”According to the Washington Post, the same official said that since last summer, the initiative has supplied 75% of the missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot batteries and almost all the ammunition used in its other air defense systems.
Pentagon signals prioritization of operational needs of US and allies
In a statement cited in the report, a Pentagon spokesperson said the Defense Department would “ensure that the U.S. military and our allies and partners have everything they need to fight and win,” but did not comment further on internal deliberations.According to The Washington Post, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanyshina, said Kiev is in touch with partners on its needs, including air defense, and understands “a period of considerable uncertainty” during the war.“Any disruptions have been minimized since the beginning of recent operations in the Middle East,” he said.
iran war Concern is increasing over US reserves
Concerns have grown as US Central Command has struck more than 10,000 targets in Iran in just four weeks of fighting. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, said on Wednesday that the US is on track to reduce Tehran’s ability to project power beyond its borders.The report said some of the weapons most likely to be used in the conflict include Patriot and THAAD air defense interceptors, which are also important to Ukraine as it continues to face Russian missile and drone attacks.The US military has already transferred such missiles from other theaters, including Europe and East Asia, to US Central Command in the Middle East to strengthen defenses against Iranian drone and ballistic missile attacks.A person familiar with internal Pentagon calculations told The Washington Post that PURL deliveries are likely to continue, but future packages may lack some air defense capabilities as the US looks to rebuild its own stocks and those of allies in the Gulf.“The policy debate is how much you give to Ukraine,” said another person. “It’s a real lively discussion.”
Funding questions and possible diversion of NATO funds
Separately, the Pentagon informed Congress on Monday that it intended to remove about $750 million of funding provided by NATO countries through the PURL program to restore U.S. military inventories instead of sending additional aid to Ukraine, citing two U.S. officials.It remained unclear whether participating European governments fully understood how that funding was being used.According to a US official, countries have committed approximately $4 billion to Ukraine through the program.The report comes as the war in Iran is reshaping military and diplomatic calculations globally.US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday a deal to end the Iran war is close, while Tehran rejected a 15-point US ceasefire proposal and issued its own demands, launching new attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states.Iran’s foreign minister later told state TV, “So far there have been no negotiations with the enemy and we do not plan any negotiations.”More than 1,500 people in Iran, nearly 1,100 in Lebanon, 20 in Israel and 13 US military personnel have been killed so far in the fighting.