US President Donald Trump has paused all military aid to Ukraine following his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week, a White House official said on Monday.
“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.
Zelenskiy’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours.
It was reported on Monday night that that the pause applies to all US military equipment not currently in Ukraine including weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit areas in Poland.
The New York Times put the amount of suspended support involved at more than $1bn and said hundreds to millions of dollars in credit provided to Kyiv for purchases from American defence manufacturers would also be impacted.
Pennsylvania Democratic representative Brendan Boyle, who is co-chair of the Congressional EU Caucus, responded to the move, calling it, “reckless, indefensible, and a direct threat to our national security”.
“This aid was approved by Congress on a bipartisan basis – Republicans and Democrats alike recognised that standing with Ukraine is standing for democracy and against Putin’s aggression,” Boyle said in a statement.
“Yet, Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin and undermined our allies, is now playing political games with critical military assistance.”
The pause comes after Trump upended US policy on Ukraine and Russia upon taking office in January, adopting a more conciliatory stance towards Moscow – and after an explosive confrontation with Zelenskiy at the White House on Friday in which Trump criticised him for being insufficiently grateful for the Washington’s backing in the war with Russia.
On Monday Trump again said Zelenskiy should be more appreciative of US support after earlier responding angrily to an Associated Press report quoting Zelenskiy as saying the end of the war is “very, very far away”.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
But Trump also suggested on Monday that a deal to open up Ukraine’s minerals to US investment could still be agreed despite his frustration with Kyiv, as European leaders floated proposals for a truce in Russia’s war with its neighbour.
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, Trump said at the White House: “No, I don’t think so.”
Trump described it as a “great deal for us” and said he would give an update on the situation on Tuesday night when he addresses a joint session of Congress.
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