United States President Donald Trump has paused navy assist to Ukraine in a dramatic escalation of his spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump will pause all assist till Kyiv is dedicated to what he determines are good-faith negotiations for peace, a number of US media retailers reported on Monday, citing unnamed Trump administration officers.
“The president has been clear that he’s targeted on peace. We want our companions to be dedicated to that purpose as effectively,” an unnamed White Home official was quoted as saying by a number of retailers.
“We’re pausing and reviewing our assist to make sure that it’s contributing to an answer.”
The transfer got here hours after Trump accused Zelenskyy of not wanting peace “as lengthy he has America’s backing” in a submit on Fact Social, escalating a disagreement that culminated in a shocking public conflict between the 2 leaders on the White Home on Friday.
The choice to droop the switch of a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in arms and ammunition which might be within the pipeline is prone to deal a severe blow to Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s invasion.
Whereas the US Congress has not authorised any new navy assist past the tens of billions of {dollars} already dedicated to Ukraine since Trump’s inauguration in January, former US President Joe Biden authorised transfers to proceed supplying gear for at the least a number of years.
The US has appropriated $182.8bn in response to Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in keeping with the US Division of Protection, although that determine consists of broader spending associated to safety, comparable to US navy coaching in Europe.
Earlier than Trump’s order, Washington was on observe to produce month-to-month deliveries value $920m this 12 months, up from $500m in 2024, in keeping with an evaluation by the Washington-based Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research and Worldwide Research (CSIS).
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press final month, Zelenskyy mentioned his nation would have a “low probability to outlive” with out US help.
“Because it was, Ukraine was barely hanging on, with the Russians hammering their entrance traces and making steady although costly beneficial properties,” Mark Cancian, a former US Marine Corps colonel who’s a senior adviser with CSIS, advised Al Jazeera.
“With out the US navy assist, Ukrainian forces will step by step lose fight functionality. My guess is that the Ukrainians can maintain out for 2 to 4 months earlier than their traces buckle and the Russians break by way of.”
The contemporary nadir in US-Ukraine relations comes after Trump took challenge with Zelenskyy’s suggestion that the top of his nation’s struggle in opposition to Russia’s invading forces was possible nonetheless “very, very far-off“.
Talking on the White Home on Monday, Trump mentioned Zelenskyy “higher not be proper” and that the struggle ought to “finish quick”.
“If any individual doesn’t wish to make a deal, I believe that individual received’t be round very lengthy,” Trump mentioned.
“That individual won’t be listened to very lengthy.”
Talking on X after Trump’s newest criticism, Zelenskyy didn’t instantly consult with the US president’s remarks however mentioned Kyiv would proceed to work with companions.
“We’ve got already had talks and different steps to come back quickly. It is vitally vital that we attempt to make our diplomacy actually substantive to finish this struggle the soonest potential,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
“We want actual peace and Ukrainians need it most as a result of the struggle ruins our cities and cities. We lose our folks. We have to cease the struggle and to ensure safety. We’re working along with America and our European companions and really a lot hope on US help on the trail to peace. Peace is required as quickly as potential.”
There was no quick remark from Zelenskyy or his workplace on the pause in navy assist.
We proceed our work with companions. We’ve got already had talks and different steps to come back quickly.
It is vitally vital that we attempt to make our diplomacy actually substantive to finish this struggle the soonest potential.
We want actual peace and Ukrainians need it most as a result of the struggle ruins our…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 3, 2025
Trump’s transfer was extensively condemned by Democratic lawmakers and different supporters of Ukraine.
Democratic US Home of Representatives member Pramila Jayapal blasted the pause as a “shameful day in American historical past”.
“Let’s be clear – this isn’t about bringing peace. Donald Trump is siding with Russia, Putin, and dictators the world over over our allies and the protection of democracy,” Jayapal, who represents a district in Washington state, mentioned on X.
Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia beneath former US President Barack Obama, labelled the transfer “tragic”.
“Trump delivers persist with democratic Ukraine. Trump offers nothing however carrots for autocratic, imperial Russia,” McFaul mentioned on X.
“This isn’t energy. That is weak point.”
Trump’s choice is ready so as to add new urgency to Europe’s efforts to help Ukraine and salvage negotiations to finish the struggle.
European international locations, led by the UK and France, are analyzing proposals for a peace deal after final week’s beautiful rupture between Trump and Zelenskyy on the White Home.
“There are clearly numerous choices on the desk,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman mentioned on Monday.
The UK and France have expressed their willingness to ship peacekeeping troops to Ukraine within the occasion of a ceasefire however have known as on the US to supply a “backstop” within the type of safety ensures.
Cancian, the CSIS adviser, mentioned that filling the vacuum left by Trump’s pause would require a “considerably elevated dedication from Europe”.
“That mentioned, weapons don’t materialise in a single day. It would take time for any new European commitments to be delivered to Ukraine – will probably be troublesome for Europe to right away fill the hole in gear deliveries,” Cancian mentioned.
