US President Donald Trump suspends military aid to Ukraine in a dramatic escalation of spat with Ukrainian President Voldy Zelensky.
Trump will suspend all aid until Kiev commits to determining that he is a good-willed negotiation for peace, several US media reported Monday, citing an unnamed Trump administration official.
“The president makes it clear that he is focused on peace. Unknown White House officials were quoted as being quoted as saying by multiple outlets.
“We are suspending and reviewing our assistance to ensure that it contributes to the solution.”
The move comes hours after Trump escalated a war of words that culminated in a stunning public conflict between two White House leaders on Friday, accusing him of not wanting Zelenskyy of “having American support” peace that “has long American support.”
The decision to suspend the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons and ammunition in the pipeline is likely to take a serious blow to Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russian invasions.
Although the US Congress has not approved new military aid beyond the tens of millions of dollars already committed to Ukraine since Trump took office in January, former US President Joe Biden has approved a relocation to continue supplying equipment for at least several years.
According to the US Department of Defense, the US allocated $182.8 billion in response to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including a wide range of security-related spending, including US military training in Europe.
Before Trump’s order, Washington was on track this year to supply monthly delivery worth $920 million, up from $500 million in 2024, according to an analysis by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press last month, Zelenskyy said his country has “low chances of survival” without US support.
“As it is, Ukraine was barely hanging. The Russians are hitting the frontlines and making expensive profits, not continuous,” Mark Kansian, a former US Marine Corps Colonel, a senior adviser to CSIS, told Al Jazeera.
“Without US military aid, Ukrainian forces will gradually lose their fighting capabilities. My guess is that Ukrainians can withstand for two or four months before their lines buckle and the Russians can break through.”
A fresh nadir in the US-Crane relationship comes after Trump was troubled with Zelensky’s suggestion that the end of his country’s war against Russian invasion forces was still “very, very far away.”
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said Zelensky was “not right” and that the war should “end quickly.”
“If someone doesn’t want to make a deal, I don’t think that person will last that long,” Trump said.
“The person doesn’t get asked for too long.”
Speaking on X after Trump’s latest criticism, Zelensky did not directly mention the US president’s remarks, but said Kiev would continue to work with his partners.
“We already have stories and other steps that need to come soon. Zelenskyy said it’s very important to try and make diplomacy really substantive to end this war the earliest possible.”
“We need real peace and Ukrainians are ruining our cities and towns, so we want it the most. We lose people. We need to stop the war and ensure security. We work with our partners in America and Europe and we very much want the US support to support the path to peace. We need peace as soon as possible.”
There were no immediate comments from Zelenskyy or his office about the suspension of military aid.
I continue to work with my partner. We already have stories and other steps to come soon.
It is very important to try and make diplomacy truly substantive in order to end this war the earliest possible.
We need real peace and the Ukrainians most want it because the war is ruining us…
– volodymyr Zelenskyy /володимирзеленсka (@zelenskyyua) March 3, 2025
Trump’s move has been widely criticized by Democrats and other Ukrainian supporters.
Democrat US Rep. Pramila Jayapal blows up the suspension as “a shameful day in American history.”
“Let’s be clear. This is not about bringing peace. Jayapal, representing Washington’s district, said Donald Trump is with Russia, Putin and dictators around the world over the defense of our allies and democracy.
Michael McFauul, former US ambassador to Russia under former US President Barack Obama, dubbed the move “tragic.”
“Trump sticks to democratic Ukraine. Trump only gives carrots for the dictatorial Russian empire,” McFar said in X.
“This is not strength. It is weakness.”
Trump’s decision is set to add new urgency to European efforts to support rescue negotiations with Ukraine to end the war.
The UK-France-led European countries are considering proposing a peace deal after a spectacular burst between Trump and Zelensky at the White House last week.
“There are obviously many options at the table,” spokesman for UK Kiel Starmer said on Monday.
The UK and France have expressed their willingness to send peacekeepers to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, but have called on the US to provide a “backstop” in the form of security guarantees.
CSIS advisor Kansian said it would require a “severely increased commitment from Europe” to fill the vacuum left by Trump’s pause.
“That being said, weapons won’t come true overnight. It will take some time for Europe’s new commitments to be delivered to Ukraine. It will be difficult for Europe to fill the gap in equipment delivery immediately,” Kangsian said.
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