The abrupt suspension of US military aid flights to Ukraine has exposed a chaotic decision-making process and an unclear chain of command within former US President Donald Trump’s administration, Reuters reports.
Shortly after Trump began his second term, US military officials ordered three cargo airlines to halt 11 scheduled flights carrying artillery shells to Ukraine. The planes were operating out of Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and a US base in the UAE.
The order triggered urgent inquiries from Ukrainian officials in Kyiv and US partners in Poland, where the shipments are being coordinated. It remains unclear who precisely issued the order on the weapons halt. Within a week, however, the flights resumed.
According to US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) records reviewed by Reuters, a verbal order came from the office of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a meeting with Trump. The idea of pausing Ukraine aid was reportedly discussed, but two sources say Trump did not explicitly direct a halt.
Crucially, multiple sources have confirmed that Trump himself and other senior national security officials who attended the meeting were unaware of the order.
Reuters analysis indicates the disruption cost TRANSCOM approximately $2.2 million.
“The story of how flights were canceled, detailed by Reuters for the first time, points to an at-times haphazard policy-making process within the Trump administration and a command structure that is unclear even to its own ranking members,” the report says.
Five sources with direct knowledge have confirmed the multi-day pause, which also reflects deeper confusion over how the administration formulates and implements national security policy.
Current and former Pentagon officials cited internal divisions over foreign policy, entrenched mistrust, and staff inexperience as persistent issues.
“This is consistent with the administration’s policy to move fast, break things, and sort it out later. That is their managing philosophy.
That is great for Silicon Valley. But when you’re talking about institutions that have been around for hundreds of years, you are going to run into problems,” says Mark Cancian, a defense expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
Notably, the aid flights had been pre-approved under the Biden administration and authorized by Congress.
