WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine following his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, a White House official, deepening the fissure that has opened between the two one-time allies.
“President Trump 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 on Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The White House had no immediate comment on the scope and amount of aid affected or how long the pause would last. The Pentagon could not provide further details.
Zelensky’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment nor did the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington.
The move comes after Trump upended U.S. policy on Ukraine and Russia upon taking office in January, adopting a more conciliatory stance towards Moscow – and after an explosive confrontation with Zelensky at the White House on Friday in which Trump criticized him for being insufficiently grateful for Washington’s backing in the war with Russia.
On Monday, Trump again said Zelensky should be more appreciative of American support after earlier responding angrily to an Associated Press report quoting Zelensky 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, using an alternative spelling of the Ukrainian leader’s name.
Minerals deal not dead, says Trump
But Trump also suggested on Monday that a deal to open up Ukraine’s minerals to U.S. investment could still be agreed despite his frustration with Kyiv, as European leaders floated proposals for a truce in Russia’s war with its neighbor.
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.”
Stunned by angry Trump exchange, Ukrainians rally around Zelensky
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.
The U.S. Congress has approved $175 billion in total assistance for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion nearly three years ago, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
In December, right before leaving office, President Joe Biden announced an additional $5.9 billion in security and budget assistance.
U.S. assistance to Ukraine includes military aid, budgetary assistance, largely delivered through a World Bank trust fund, and other funds that had been delivered through the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been throttled by the Trump White House.
Some of the money sent by the U.S. to Ukraine helps the country pay salaries of teachers, doctors and keeps the government running, allowing it to focus on fighting Russia’s invasion.
Ukraine weapons assistance from the U.S. has been facilitated through two programs:
Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the president to quickly transfer weapons and equipment from U.S. stocks to foreign countries without the need for congressional approval, and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) where military equipment is procured from the defense industry.
In total the U.S. has pledged $31.7 billion worth of weapons aid to Ukraine through PDA.
The vast majority – well over $20 billion according to a Reuters analysis – has been shipped.
The announced pause in military aid applies mainly to aid that had been previously approved but not yet disbursed. Trump has not approved any new aid under his own presidential authority since taking office and a new congressional aid package appears unlikely, at least in the near term.
Europe seeks peace plan
Prior to the White House’s decision to halt its aid, European nations were rallying around Zelenskiy and trying to hatch a peace plan.
“There are clearly a number of options on the table,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman said.
France, Britain and potentially other European countries have offered to send troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire – something Moscow has already rejected – but say they would want support from the U.S., or a “backstop.”
Zelensky has said a ceasefire must carry explicit security guarantees from the West to ensure that Russia, which holds about 20% of its land, does not attack again. Trump has refused to give any such guarantees.
Starmer hosted European leaders in London on Sunday and said they agreed to draw up a peace plan to present to Washington.
Those leaders were still trying to come to grips with Friday’s fracas at the White House. Privately, and sometimes publicly, European officials are fuming at what they see as a betrayal of Ukraine, which had enjoyed staunch support from Washington since Russia’s invasion.
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