According to a White House official, U.S. President Donald Trump has halted military assistance to Ukraine after his confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week, further escalating the rift that has already formed between the two former allies.
Following an explosive confrontation with Zelenskiy at the White House on Friday, in which Trump chastised him for not being more appreciative of Washington’s support in the war with Russia, and after Trump reversed U.S. policy on Ukraine and Russia upon taking office in January by taking a more accommodative stance toward Moscow, the move was made.
“President Trump has made it apparent that peace is his top priority. Our partners must share our commitment to that objective” Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official stated on Monday, “We are taking a step back and evaluating our assistance to make sure it is helping to find a solution.
The length of the halt and the extent and volume of help impacted were not immediately clarified by the White House. No other information was available from the Pentagon.
A request for comment from Reuters was not immediately answered by the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington or Zelenskiy’s office.
Trump responded angrily to an Associated Press report that quoted Zelenskiy as saying the end of the battle is “very, very far away” before stating once more on Monday that Zelenskiy should be more grateful for American backing.
The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget reports that the U.S. Congress has authorized $175 billion in total aid for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion three years ago.
Given the escalating conflict between Washington and Kyiv, it was already doubtful that the $3.85 billion in congressionally-approved power to draw from U.S. weaponry supplies for Ukraine would be used by the Trump administration.
The move on Monday appears to stop the delivery of military equipment approved by Biden, such as ammunition, missiles, and other systems, and goes beyond Trump’s no-new-aid policy since taking office.
However, as European leaders discussed options for a truce in Russia’s war with its neighbor, Trump also hinted on Monday that despite his anger with Kyiv, an agreement to open up Ukraine’s resources to U.S. investment might still be reached.
A minerals deal is seen by the Trump administration as America’s attempt to recoup part of the tens of billions of dollars in military and financial assistance it has provided to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion three years ago.
Trump remarked at the White House on Monday, when asked if the deal was dead, “No, I don’t think so.”
During his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, Trump called it a “great deal for us” and promised to provide an update on the situation.
Vice President JD Vance urged Zelenskiy to agree to the mining transaction in an interview with Fox News.
Zelenskiy has made it plain that in order to prevent another attack by Russia, which controls over 20% of its territory, a truce must include unequivocal security guarantees from the West. Trump has not made any such promises.
In addition to the military component, the United States is providing Ukraine with budgetary aid, which is mostly provided through a World Bank trust fund, as well as other money that were previously provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which the Trump White House has stifled.
Many concerns were left unanswered by the U.S. decision, such as whether the U.S. would continue to share intelligence with Ukraine on target identification and missile launches, or whether munitions for the weapons systems that had already been provided could now be supplied.
According to a source who spoke to Reuters, important members of legislative oversight panels, such as the Senate Armed Services Committee, were not informed of the decision.
European countries were supporting Zelenskiy and attempting to come up with a peace plan before the White House decided to stop providing aid.
Officials are furious in private and occasionally in public at what they see to be a betrayal of Ukraine, which Washington has steadfastly supported since Russia’s invasion.
In the case of a ceasefire, which Moscow has already refused, France, Britain, and maybe other European nations have offered to send soldiers to Ukraine; however, they state that they would prefer American assistance, or a “backstop.”
According to the spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, “there are clearly a number of options on the table,”
