Global
In a move reflecting a prominent shift in Washington defense export policy, US President Donald Trump revealed a decision to temporarily halt foreign military sales of weapons to allies worldwide, pending the completion of refilling the country strategic military arsenal, emphasizing that the current US administration places top priority on retaining munitions to meet internal security requirements. During statements made in a television interview, the US president explained that Washington has started keeping munitions for itself due to their utmost necessity, affirming that once inventories are fully and effectively replenished, a gradual return will begin allowing allies to purchase military equipment once again from American defense industries. In a related context, Trump directed sharp criticisms at his predecessor Joe Biden, holding the former administration fully responsible for the deterioration of the current situation as a result of providing massive quantities of weapons for free to Ukraine, comparing this to the handling of regional challenges associated with Iran. It is worth noting that early last October witnessed the US president acknowledgment of a noticeable decline in inventories of several categories of munitions within the Department of Defense arsenals against the background of recent military developments, pointing out that current efforts focus on compensating for this shortage and raising production capacities. Trump had called last January to raise defense spending by more than half to reach record levels of 1.5 trillion dollars by 2027, amid global circumstances described as dangerous and turbulent, and this direction comes after Congress approved a defense budget amounting to 901 billion dollars last December.
