The Kremlin on Wednesday welcomed Washington’s pause on key arms shipments to Ukraine as a step toward ending the war as the decision drew a sharp rebuke from Kyiv, which warned the move will fuel Russian terror, not peace.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “The fewer arms are shipped to Kyiv, the sooner the conflict will end.”

The Kremlin’s response underscores the geopolitical stakes of Washington’s recalibration of its Ukraine strategy. Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently intensified both military and rhetorical offensives.

At a recent forum in St Petersburg, Putin stated, “In that sense, the whole of Ukraine is ours,” describing Russians and Ukrainians as “one people.”

Ukraine’s foreign ministry summoned the acting US envoy, deputy chief of mission John Ginkel, to underline the critical importance of continuing military aid, especially air defense systems.

“The Ukrainian side emphasised that any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities will only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and terror, rather than seek peace,” a ministry statement read.

Deputy foreign minister Mariana Betsa expressed appreciation for ongoing US support but warned that halting aid “particularly air-defence systems,” risked emboldening Moscow at a time when Ukraine is facing its heaviest aerial bombardment since the war began.

“It’s painful, and against the background of the terrorist attacks which Russia commits against Ukraine... it’s a very unpleasant situation,” said Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Ukrainian parliament from the ruling party, in remarks to Reuters.

The White House paused some US weapons deliveries to Ukraine, amid concerns over dwindling American stockpiles and an intensified Russian offensive.

The decision, attributed to a department of defense review of US military support abroad, was described as necessary “to put America’s interests first,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on Tuesday.

The paused shipments include Patriot air defense missiles, precision artillery rounds, and other advanced munitions, according to multiple US officials cited by Reuters and CBS News. Two people familiar with the decision told Reuters that the Pentagon’s move stemmed from mounting concerns that US stockpiles were becoming “dangerously low.”

The shift in approach comes just days after what Ukrainian officials called the most intense aerial assault since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kyiv reported being targeted by over 500 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles in a single weekend.

Though the Pentagon has not disclosed which specific shipments have been halted, US media reports suggest the deliveries involve systems that are crucial for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s increasingly aggressive air campaign.