Deliveries of AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, HIMARS Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), as well as Aegis radars, have already been affected.
The supply of $5 billion worth of American weapons to NATO allies, intended for subsequent shipment to Ukraine, has been interrupted due to the government shutdown caused by a funding lapse. This is reported by Axios, citing US State Department sources on Sunday, November 9, 2025. According to the same sources, deliveries of AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, HIMARS Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), as well as Aegis radars, have been affected.
An official stated that last month, the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs was operating with only 25% of its staff. As a result, deliveries of missiles and weapons systems to NATO allies were suspended. Specifically, Denmark, Croatia, and Poland will not receive their systems due to the shutdown.
“This government shutdown is actually really harming both our allies and partners and US industry to actually deliver a lot of these critical capabilities overseas,” the official told Axios.
It is recalled that Europe is currently purchasing weapons and ammunition for transfer to Ukraine. The US is no longer supplying weapons for free. It was recently reported that the United Kingdom delivered an additional batch of long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, following US President Donald Trump’s refusal to deliver Tomahawk missiles. The German armed forces will also deliver two Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Kyiv.
“Democrats are holding up critical weapons sales, including to our NATO allies, which harms the U.S. industrial base and puts us and our partners’ security at risk,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott commented to Axios in a statement.
“China and Russia aren't shut down, their efforts to undermine the U.S. and our partners and allies get easier, while our industrial base suffers and our allies' needs go unmet,” said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, James Risch, to Axios.
Ukrainian forces, already exhausted and weakened after months of fighting and enormous losses, are now facing a reduction in the flow of weaponry. Without continuous American support, Ukraine cannot maintain the tempo of operations in the war of attrition imposed by Moscow.
Analysts point out that, if the shutdown is prolonged, a chain-reaction collapse will be created in NATO's supply line, especially in Eastern Europe. The armies of Poland and Baltic countries will be forced to restrict weapons shipments to Kyiv, while their own stockpiles are being depleted.
As the US struggles with its internal divisions, Russia remains stable, economically self-sufficient, and politically unified against the challenges. Western unity, presented as “unshakable” in 2022, now shows deep cracks.
The message is clear: without Washington, the West cannot fight, nor can it support Ukraine. And Washington, submerged in its own political chaos, can no longer respond.
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An official stated that last month, the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs was operating with only 25% of its staff. As a result, deliveries of missiles and weapons systems to NATO allies were suspended. Specifically, Denmark, Croatia, and Poland will not receive their systems due to the shutdown.
“This government shutdown is actually really harming both our allies and partners and US industry to actually deliver a lot of these critical capabilities overseas,” the official told Axios.
It is recalled that Europe is currently purchasing weapons and ammunition for transfer to Ukraine. The US is no longer supplying weapons for free. It was recently reported that the United Kingdom delivered an additional batch of long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, following US President Donald Trump’s refusal to deliver Tomahawk missiles. The German armed forces will also deliver two Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Kyiv.
The process of congressional approvals has been frozen
The pending transactions include both weapons sales directly from the US government to NATO allies, and the licensing for private American defense companies to export weapons, the official told Axios. The procedure for these specific sales would normally be straightforward and non-controversial. The Arms Export Control Act requires Congress to review proposed arms sales. Many State Department employees, whose job is to brief Congressional committee offices and ensure the process is completed, have been put on forced leave (furlough), causing the delay. The State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs was operating with approximately one-quarter of its normal staff to support weapons sales last month, a senior official told Axios.“Democrats are holding up critical weapons sales, including to our NATO allies, which harms the U.S. industrial base and puts us and our partners’ security at risk,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott commented to Axios in a statement.
“China and Russia aren't shut down, their efforts to undermine the U.S. and our partners and allies get easier, while our industrial base suffers and our allies' needs go unmet,” said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, James Risch, to Axios.
Ukraine waits for aid that is not coming
For Kyiv, this development is a heavy blow.Ukrainian forces, already exhausted and weakened after months of fighting and enormous losses, are now facing a reduction in the flow of weaponry. Without continuous American support, Ukraine cannot maintain the tempo of operations in the war of attrition imposed by Moscow.
Analysts point out that, if the shutdown is prolonged, a chain-reaction collapse will be created in NATO's supply line, especially in Eastern Europe. The armies of Poland and Baltic countries will be forced to restrict weapons shipments to Kyiv, while their own stockpiles are being depleted.
Russia watches with strategic composure
For Russia, this development is not a surprise. Moscow had long ago foreseen the fatigue of the West and the gradual disintegration of the Western front of support for Kyiv. The economic and political chaos in Washington strengthens Russia's position on the field—not with a violent offensive, but with a patient strategy of attrition.As the US struggles with its internal divisions, Russia remains stable, economically self-sufficient, and politically unified against the challenges. Western unity, presented as “unshakable” in 2022, now shows deep cracks.
NATO without an active center – A danger signal for Europe
The suspension of American arms exports to NATO indicates something even deeper: Europe does not possess an independent defense industry capable of maintaining its needs without American support. Poland, Denmark, Croatia, and other allies are now trapped in a dependence that is turning into a strategic trap.The message is clear: without Washington, the West cannot fight, nor can it support Ukraine. And Washington, submerged in its own political chaos, can no longer respond.
Systemic crisis in the West
This crisis is not merely economic or administrative—it is systemic. The shutdown did not just stop the US government; it froze the very mechanism of power that held NATO together. The inability to fund, the delays in weapons deliveries, and the political division show that the Western alliance is on a trajectory of deconstruction. For Russia, this period constitutes a strategic advantage. Not through fire, but through waiting—allowing the West to sink into its own crisis. Moscow does not need to attack when its adversaries are self-destructing.www.bankingnews.gr
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