As the war in Iran heats up, the Trump administration is considering diverting weapons away from Ukraine and to the Middle East.
The war has reportedly depleted the administration’s stock of “critical munitions,” making it necessary to procure more from elsewhere.
In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson told The Washington Post that the War Department will “ensure that U.S. forces and those of our allies and partners have what they need to fight and win.”
Well, except for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who’d seemingly get the short end of the stick were this plan to move forward.
President Donald Trump nevertheless defended this plan to reporters on Wednesday, telling them that “we have tremendous amounts of ammunition” to spare, including for Zelenskyy up north.
Q: “There’s been a report that potentially the U.S. is looking at diverting some munitions, air defenses, that were meant for Ukraine to the Middle East. Is there any accuracy to that?”
President Trump: “We do that all the time. We have tremendous amounts of ammunition.” pic.twitter.com/ceC5ZMkEry
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 26, 2026
“We have them in other countries, like in Germany and all over Europe,” he said. “We have, you know, we’re packed, and we take sometimes, we take from one and we use for another. We helped Ukraine. Biden started, and he gave 350 billion dollars away too much.”
“And we sell it now to NATO. We sell it to NATO, and they probably give it to Ukraine. Mostly, I think they give it to Ukraine, but we get paid for everything that we give. We don’t give anything anymore,” he added.
However, the plan has reportedly alarmed European figures like foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, who has warned the Trump administration about breaking its commitments to Ukraine, according to The Hill.
“It’s definitely important that those promises that have been given to Ukraine regarding their weapons and their defenses that they so desperately need are delivered to them,” she said. “The Russians are really targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. … We can’t let Ukraine slip off the table.”
The Hill notes that the Trump administration “has already halted most of its weapons assistance to Ukraine” and that most of its military support “now comes from other European countries.” The exception is PURL, short for the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List.
Ukraine “is still getting key U.S. equipment through PURL, including air defense interceptors and high-end munitions,” about $4 billion, which has already been committed to the European nation.
Moreover, “Ukraine wouldn’t start to see the effects of a weapons diversion until a month or two has passed, as some weapons shipments are already in the pipeline,” The Hill further notes.
I thank everyone who remembers PURL—program that allows us to purchase American interceptors for Patriots. We understand risks created by Iranian strikes and the resulting need for air defense in the Middle East. It is important the protection of life is ensured in Ukraine too. pic.twitter.com/lDiRK9OO2h
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 7, 2026
All this comes as the war in Iran continues to ratchet up despite possible peace talks.
“The Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give President Trump more military options even as he weighs peace talks with Tehran,” the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing Department of War officials.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is reportedly considering invading Kharg Island to pressure Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
NOW🚨United States planning to ‘occupy’ parts of Iran, permanently, in order to control the Strait of Hormuz forever! US is deploying tens of thousands of troops and Marines in preparation for ground operations landing to recapture Hormuz Island. US blockade the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/DFHyEMnCyG
— vanhoa (@vanhoa2272) March 25, 2026
“On the strategic chessboard of this war, Kharg Island is the next piece,” former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant wrote in The Free Press this week. “It may be the move that decides the conflict. If it is going to be made, it must be made now.”
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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