The Trump administration has suspended delivery of all US military aid to Ukraine, a move that heaps pressure on the warring country.
It comes after the heated exchange between US President, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The decision affects deliveries of ammunition, vehicles, and other equipment including shipments agreed to when Joe Biden was President.
A White House official said that Trump is focused on reaching a peace deal and wants Zelenskyy “committed” to that goal.
The official added that the US was “pausing and reviewing” its aid to “ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
The official also stressed that the order will remain in effect until Trump determines that Ukraine has demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia.
The announcement pertains mainly to aid that had been previously approved but not yet disbursed.
Trump has not approved any new aid under his own presidential authority since taking office and a new congressional aid package appears unlikely, at least in the near term.
According to a news agency’s report, all US military equipment not in Ukraine would be held back, including weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit areas in Poland.
The report added that Trump had ordered Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, to execute the pause.
The suspension of aid is the most material sign of how far the relationship between Washington and Kyiv has deteriorated since Trump took office.
In recent weeks, Trump has echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talking points, falsely claiming Ukraine started the war and accusing Zelensky of being a dictator, but his decision to halt the delivery of military aid is a move that could have real consequences for the balance of the conflict and strengthen Putin’s hand.
Trump earlier on Monday slammed Zelenskyy for suggesting that the end of the war likely “is still very, very far away.”
Zelenskyy had suggested it would take time to come to an agreement to end the war as he tried to offer a positive take on the US-Ukraine relationship in the aftermath of last week’s White House meeting.
Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, “This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!”
Later on Monday, Trump said that Zelenskyy “won’t be around very long” unless he succumbs to pressure and makes deal on US terms.
“It should not be that hard a deal to make. It could be made very fast. Now, maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long.”
Donald Trump
Zelenskyy later took to social media in an effort to further explain his thinking. He did not directly refer to Trump’s comments, but underscored that it “is very important that we try to make our diplomacy really substantive to end this war the soonest possible.”
“We need real peace and Ukrainians want it most because the war ruins our cities and towns. We lose our people. We need to stop the war and to guarantee security.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Military Aid Pause Decried
Democrats said that the pausing of aid to Ukraine was dangerous and ill-advised.
Democratic Representative, Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, who is Co-chair of the Congressional EU Caucus, said that the decision “is reckless, indefensible, and a direct threat to our national security.”
The Biden administration provided Kyiv with more than $66.5 billion in military aid and weapons since the war began.
It had left unspent about $3.85 billion in congressionally authorized funding to send more weapons to Ukraine from existing US stockpiles — a sum that had not been affected by the foreign aid freeze that Trump put in place when he first took office.
“This aid was approved by Congress on a bipartisan basis — Republicans and Democrats alike recognized that standing with Ukraine is standing for democracy and against Putin’s aggression.
“Yet, Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin and undermined our allies, is now playing political games with critical military assistance.”
Brendan Boyle
Additionally, Democratic Representative, Dan Goldman, who served as counsel to House Democrats in the first impeachment inquiry against Trump, denounced the pausing of aid.
“This is the exact opposite of peace through strength. Instead, it’s another extortion of President Zelenskyy, illegally withholding aid in order to get President Zelenskyy to agree to a minerals deal.”
Dan Goldman
Western officials said in the wake of the decision that Ukraine could likely sustain its current fighting pace for several weeks, perhaps until the start of the summer, before the US pause would begin to have a major effect.
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