An activist who is from Ukraine. joins a rally downtown to show support for his homeland in Chicago, Illinois. Supporters of Ukraine joined in the rally and marched through downtown expressing outrage following Friday’s hostile reception of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s by U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office. | Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP

U.S. President Donald Trump halts all U.S. military aid to Ukraine

Ukraine President Zelenskyy's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside office hours.

by · The Hindu

U.S. President Donald Trump has paused all military aid to Ukraine following his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, a White House official said on Monday (March 3, 2025).

"President 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," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Mr. Zelenskyy's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside office hours.

The move comes after Mr. Trump upended U.S. policy on Ukraine and Russia upon taking office in January, adopting a more conciliatory stance towards Moscow — and after an explosive confrontation with Mr. Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday in which Trump criticized him for being insufficiently grateful for the Washington's backing in the war with Russia.

On Monday (March 3, 2025) Mr. Trump again said Mr. Zelenskyy should be more appreciative of American support after earlier responding angrily to an Associated Press report quoting Mr. Zelenskyy as saying the end of the war is "very, very far away."

"This is the worst statement that could have been made by Mr. Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!" Trump wrote on Truth Social, using an alternative spelling of the Ukrainian leader's name.

But Mr. Trump also suggested on Monday (March 3, 2025) that a deal to open up Ukraine's minerals to U.S. investment could still be agreed despite his frustration with Kyiv, as European leaders floated proposals for a truce in Russia's war with its neighbor.

The Trump administration views a minerals deal as America's way of earning back some of the tens of billions of dollars it has given to Ukraine in financial and military aid since Russia invaded three years ago.

When asked on Monday if the deal was dead, Mr. Trump said at the White House: "No, I don't think so."

Mr. Trump described it as a "great deal for us" and said he would give an update on the situation on Tuesday (March 4, 2025) night when he addresses a joint session of Congress.

Published - March 04, 2025 06:27 am IST