An order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office grounded 11 flights of heavy artillery bound for Ukraine. This action, costing an additional $2.2 million, took place without the knowledge of the Pentagon, State Department, Ukrainian officials, or even the White House.
Reuters reports that the grounding stemmed from a verbal order from Hegseth's office following a January 30th Oval Office meeting where Trump discussed halting aid to Ukraine. However, sources claim Trump was unaware of Hegseth's actions, while the White House stated Hegseth followed a Trump directive to pause aid.
The incident highlights the chaotic policy-making within the Trump administration and an unclear command structure. The multi-day pause, confirmed by five sources, underscores the confusion in the administration's national security policy creation and implementation. The conflicting accounts leave the exact nature of the order and the decision-making process unclear.