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US president’s reported move comes hours after he accused Ukrainian leader of not wanting peace.
United States President Donald Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine in a dramatic escalation of his spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump will pause all aid until he determines that Kyiv is committed to good faith negotiations for peace, multiple US media outlets reported on Monday, citing unnamed Trump administration officials.
The move came hours after Trump accused Zelenskyy of not wanting peace “as long he has America’s backing” in a post on Truth Social, escalating a war of words that culminated in a stunning public clash between the two leaders at the White House on Friday.
The decision to suspend the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in arms and ammunition that is in the pipeline is likely to deal a serious blow to Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s invasion.
While the US Congress has not approved any new military aid beyond the $86 billion already committed to Ukraine since Trump’s inauguration in January, former US President Joe Biden approved transfers to continue supplying equipment for at least several years.
Before Trump’s order, Washington was on track to supply monthly deliveries worth $920m this year, up from $500m in 2024, according to an analysis by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies and International Studies.
The fresh nadir in US-Ukraine relations comes after Trump took issue with Zelenskyy’s suggestion that the end of his country’s war with Russia was likely still “very, very far away.”
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said the Ukrainian leader “better not be right” and the wary should “end fast.”
“If somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long,” Trump said. “That person will not be listened to very long.”
More to follow…
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