Washington/Kyiv — US President Donald Trump paused military aid to Ukraine after last week’s clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, potentially hampering Ukraine’s efforts to fend off Russia as he pivots towards warmer relations with Moscow.
Trump upended US policy on Ukraine and Russia on taking office in January, opening talks with Moscow. The reversal culminated in an explosive confrontation with Zelensky at the White House on Friday, in which Trump upbraided him for being insufficiently grateful for Washington’s backing.
“President Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution,” a US official said on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The White House had no immediate comment on the scope and amount of aid affected or how long the pause would last.
Military experts say it could take time for the effect of missing US aid to be felt on the battlefield. When US assistance was held up for several months last year by Republicans in Congress, the most notable initial effect was shortages of air defences to shoot down incoming Russian missiles and drones. Later, Ukrainian forces in the east complained of shortages of ammunition, including for artillery.
The announcement was met initially on Tuesday by silence from the Ukrainian government and Zelensky. Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said it looked like Trump was “pushing us towards capitulation”.
The Kremlin said pausing US military aid would be the best contribution towards peace, though it still had to confirm details of Trump’s move.
Reuters also reported on Monday that Washington was drawing up a plan to potentially ease sanctions on Russia. The Kremlin said lifting sanctions was needed to normalise relations.
The cut-off of US aid to Kyiv puts more pressure on European allies, led by Britain and France, whose leaders both visited the White House last week and have publicly embraced Zelensky since the Oval Office blow-up.
Europeans are racing to boost their own military spending and provide alternative support for Kyiv, including a plan to put troops on the ground to support any ceasefire, though they say they still need some form of US support.
France condemned Washington’s cut-off of aid, while Britain was more circumspect.
Suspending arms to Ukraine made peace “more distant, because it only strengthens the hand of the aggressor on the ground, which is Russia”, said French junior minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad.
A British government spokesperson said: “We remain absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort.”
Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv said they felt abandoned.
“Yes, it is betrayal, let’s call it like it is,” said lawyer Olena Bilova. “But let’s hope that American civil society and the elites of the EU will not leave us alone.”
European commission president Ursula von der Leyen unveiled proposals to boost spending on defence in the EU, which she said could mobilise up to €800bn. The EU is holding an emergency summit on Thursday.
On Monday, Trump again said Zelensky should be more appreciative of US support after earlier responding angrily to a report quoting Zelensky as saying the war’s end was “very, very far away”.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Minerals deal not dead, says Trump
Since Russia’s invasion three years ago, the US Congress has approved $175bn in total assistance for Ukraine, according to the non-partisan committee for a responsible federal budget.
The Trump administration inherited $3.85bn worth of congressionally approved authority to dip into US arms stocks for Ukraine. Monday’s move also appeared to halt deliveries of military equipment approved by former president Joe Biden, including munitions, missiles and other systems.
Democrats in the US Congress were furious about Trump’s announcement.
“By freezing military aid to Ukraine, President Trump has kicked the door wide open for Putin to escalate his violent aggression against innocent Ukrainians,” said senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee.
Still, Trump suggested on Monday that a deal to open up Ukraine’s minerals to US investment could still be agreed. The deal was meant to be signed in Washington on Friday before Zelensky departed after the Oval Office bust-up.
When asked on Monday if the deal was dead, Trump said: “No, I don’t think so.”
In an interview on Fox News, vice-president JD Vance called on Zelensky to accept it.
“If you want real security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,” Vance said.
Zelensky has made clear that a ceasefire must carry explicit security guarantees from the West to ensure that Russia, which holds about 20% of Ukraine’s land, does not attack again. Trump has so far refused to give any such guarantees.
Washington has not spelt out whether the pause on aid would halt munitions for weapons systems that were already supplied, or if the US would still share intelligence with Ukraine on target identification and missile launches.
Reuters
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