President Donald Trump has halted all military aid to Ukraine, sharply escalating pressure on Kyiv to engage in peace negotiations with Russia, according to reports. The decision comes just days after a highly publicized confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
A White House official stated that the President’s focus is on securing peace and emphasized the need for Ukraine to demonstrate a commitment to that goal. “This is not a permanent termination of aid, it’s a pause,” a Trump administration official told CNN, clarifying that the suspension will remain in place until Ukrainian leaders show a good-faith effort towards negotiations.
The move aligns with Trump’s recent remarks emphasizing a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, stating that those unwilling to negotiate “won’t last long.” He also suggested that Russia is open to an agreement. “It should not be that hard a deal to make. It could be made very fast. Maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long… Because I believe that Russia wants to make a deal,” Trump said during a media interaction.
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Trump has repeatedly accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the war in reliance on continued Western military assistance. The Ukrainian President recently stated that a resolution to the conflict remains “very, very far away,” prompting a sharp rebuke from Trump, who deemed it the “worst statement” Zelenskyy could have made.
The clash between the two leaders intensified during Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Washington, where he was expected to finalize a minerals agreement with the United States. However, the meeting took a dramatic turn when Trump publicly criticized Zelenskyy, leading to a failed negotiation, the absence of a joint statement, and the Ukrainian leader’s abrupt departure from the White House.
Vice-President JD Vance also engaged in a tense exchange with Zelenskyy over the feasibility of a diplomatic resolution to the war. Vance argued that Ukraine should pursue peace talks with Russia, prompting Zelenskyy to remind him of Russia’s prior violations of ceasefire agreements. “What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you speaking about? What do you mean?” Zelenskyy asked, referring to Russia’s aggression before its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Vance retorted, “The kind that will end the destruction of your country,” before accusing Zelenskyy of disrespecting the U.S. and highlighting Ukraine’s reliance on conscription due to manpower shortages. Zelenskyy countered by asserting that every country faces challenges during wartime, adding, “You have a nice ocean and don’t feel it now, but you will feel it in the future.”
Trump, visibly irked by Zelenskyy’s remarks, accused the Ukrainian leader of gambling with global security. “You don’t have the cards right now. You are gambling with the lives of millions of people. You are gambling with World War Three. And what you are doing is very disrespectful to this country,” Trump said.
Following the meeting, Trump stated that he remains open to supporting Ukraine only if Zelenskyy demonstrates a willingness to end the conflict. “That was not a man that wanted to make peace, and I am only interested if he wants to end the bloodshed,” he told reporters.
The Trump administration had aimed to negotiate an agreement granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources in exchange for continued support. However, the collapse of the meeting signals further uncertainty in U.S.-Ukraine relations as the war enters another critical phase.
