ISTANBUL

More than $5 billion in US weapons sales intended for NATO allies and Ukraine have been delayed due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, Axios reported Sunday.

The delays affect both direct sales from the US government and export licenses for private defense firms, including shipments of AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, Aegis combat systems, and HIMARS rocket launchers, officials told the outlet.

Denmark, Croatia, and Poland are among those affected, and some of the delayed sales could also impact Ukraine, where arms are often transferred.

“This is actually really harming both our allies and partners and US industry to actually deliver a lot of these critical capabilities overseas,” a senior State Department official told Axios.

According to the report, furloughs and reduced staffing at the State Department have slowed approvals. The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which manages arms export reviews and congressional notifications, was operating at roughly one-quarter of its normal capacity last month.

The US government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, 2025, is the longest in history.

It began after Congress failed to pass a funding measure amid partisan clashes over spending priorities and policy add-ons such as health care subsidies and border security.

The shutdown has furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers and forced many nonessential services to close or operate at reduced capacity.