Donald Trump orders pause to military aid for Ukraine

LAST UPDATE | 6 hrs ago

US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has suspended military aid for Ukraine, as the reverberations from last week’s disastrous White House meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky continue.

The move will sharply escalating pressure on Kyiv amid Trump’s criticism of Ukraine’s leader over recent days.

“The President has been clear that he is focused on peace,” a White House official said in a brief statement to AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“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.”

It comes hours after Trump stepped up his threats against Zelenskyy, suggesting the Ukrainian “won’t be around very long” without a ceasefire deal with Russia.

Trump earlier yesterday said that such a pause, worth billions, had not yet been discussed – but did not rule it out.

He was due to meet with his top advisers in Washington last night, but doubt over the future of American military aid for Ukraine had been growing following the US president’s sidestepping of questioning over further military supports.

The Republican had been asked by reporters to confirm reports that he was considering ending military aid to Ukraine, to which he claimed that that the issue hadn’t been “talked about” yet.

“I mean, right now, we’ll see what happens. A lot of things are happening right now as we speak,” Trump had said.

Trump: Zelenskyy should be more appreciative

At a White House press conference this evening, Trump said that Ukraine’s leader Zelenskyy should be “more appreciative” of US support against Russia’s invasion, after their public falling out.

It was a small row back on comments made earlier today when Trump slammed Zelenskyy, claiming he would “not put up with” his rhetoric much longer, but there was little substantive change overall.

Trump also said the US has stood by Ukraine “through thick and thin” amid its invasion by Russia.

“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,” Trump said.

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Video available: Trump suggests Zelensky ‘won’t be around very long’ if he does not make deal with Russia

After weekend crisis talks in London, Britain and France are investigating how to propose a one-month truce “in the air, at sea and on energy infrastructure” – potentially backed by troops on the ground.

In a statement yesterday, Zelenskyy said discussions were still focusing on the “first steps,” adding: “An agreement on ending the war is very, very far away” – a comment that angered Trump.

Asked if a minerals deal – which was supposed to be a step towards helping end the conflict – between Washington and Kyiv was dead, Trump said: “No, I don’t think so.”

When he first blasted Zelenskyy yesterday on his social media site Truth Social, Trump had said the Ukrainian president had put out the “worst statement that could have been made”.

“America will not put up with it for much longer,” Trump said, citing a story quoting Ukraine’s president saying the end of the war with Moscow was far off.

“This guy doesn’t want there to be peace as long as he has America’s backing.”

In another address yesterday evening, Zelenskyy said that that “peace is needed as soon as possible” in Ukraine.

“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,” the Ukrainian president said.

“We are working together with America and our European partners and very much hope on US support on the path to peace.”

Trump had taken aim at European leaders who met Zelenskyy for crisis talks in London at the weekend, saying that they had “stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US.”

“Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

European leaders, who have offered peacekeepers to guarantee any ceasefire but also want a US “backstop”, met in London on Sunday a desperate bid to resolve the row.

– © AFP 2025

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