U.S. pauses some weapons shipments to Ukraine

• "The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran," Kelly added.
• Some Democrats have warned halting weapons shipments could have a devastating impact on Ukraine, as the country faces intense battles with Russia's invading forces — a concern Trump administration officials rejected.

State of play: The U.S. has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in military assistance since Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of the country in 2022 and former President Biden stepped up efforts to send arms to Kyiv before he left office, leading some officials to raise concerns about depleted stockpiles.

• Elbridge Colby, Defense Department undersecretary for policy, emphasized in a statement shared with outlets including Axios that the Pentagon "continues to provide the President with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine."
• Colby noted, "At the same time, the Department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving U.S. forces' readiness for Administration defense priorities."
• Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that U.S. service members were "fully equipped to deter against any threat," and that the Senate's passage Tuesday of Trump's big, beautiful bill "ensures that our weapons and defense systems are modernized to protect the homeland against 21st century threats for generations to come."

What they're saying: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a media statement said, "The Pentagon is significantly weakening Ukraine's defense against aerial attacks even as Russia pounds Ukrainian cities night after night, with numerous civilians dead and wounded."

• Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to the weapons shipments pause.

Go deeper: Russia submits "usual" demands for peace in Ukraine talks