U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered a temporary halt to several U.S. weapons deliveries bound for Ukraine without notifying the White House, according to five people briefed on the decision, CNN reported. The pause covered Patriot interceptor missiles and artillery rounds that were already staged in Poland for onward transfer to Kyiv. Officials said the move stemmed from an internal assessment of U.S. stockpiles initiated after President Donald Trump asked for a broader review of munitions levels during last month’s NATO summit. The recommendation to suspend the Ukraine shipments originated with Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby and was approved by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg before receiving Hegseth’s final sign-off, the sources added. The White House, State Department and U.S. envoy to Ukraine were caught off guard and sought explanations from the Pentagon, while Congress demanded briefings on any shortfalls in domestic inventories. Trump, who said publicly he was unaware of the suspension, directed Hegseth on Monday night to resume at least part of the aid package, and the Pentagon has since confirmed that deliveries will proceed. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said Hegseth’s review was "coordinated across government" and aligned with a framework given to the president, while a Hegseth aide called the CNN account "a complete fabrication." The administration has not provided evidence of critical stockpile shortages, and lawmakers indicated additional authority or funding requests have yet to be submitted.