The Pentagon has paused some munitions shipments to Ukraine, including air defense missiles, after conducting a review of military spending and American support to foreign countries, a senior White House official told CNN.

The US has halted some weapons shipments to Kyiv, the White House has said, as Russia's war against Ukraine has intensified. The decision was taken "to put America's interests first" and followed a Department of Defense review of US "military support and assistance to other countries", White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said on Tuesday.

The White House cited Pentagon concerns that some American arms stockpiles were dwindling too low. Among the affected weapons were air defense systems, bombs, missiles and artillery rounds.