President Trump has ordered a pause on U.S. aid going to Ukraine in its war against Russia, a consequential move as he clashes with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the path to ending the conflict.
“The President has made it clear that he is committed to peace. “We need our partners to be equally committed to that goal,” a White House official said in a statement. “We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
The pause affects all military aid not already on the ground in Ukraine, including munitions, anti-tank weapons, and other materials provided by the United States to Kyiv since Russia invaded approximately three years ago.
Trump entered office with nearly $4 billion in drawdown authority from previously approved congressional funding for Ukraine. That funding appears to be about to go unused.
The move is likely to put more pressure on Zelensky to win back Trump’s favor or risk losing ground in the war. It is also likely to focus attention on European nations attempting to rally more support for Kyiv.
According to a federal government oversight office, Congress approved nearly $183 billion in Ukraine aid by the end of fiscal year 2024. Since the beginning of the war, the European Union has provided approximately $145 billion in total assistance to Ukraine.
Trump campaigned on a promise to end the conflict in Ukraine. Since taking office, he has spoken with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tensions between Trump and Zelensky have risen in recent weeks, with the US president referring to the Ukrainian leader as a “dictator without elections” who has done a “terrible job.” Trump recently suggested that Ukraine was to blame for the start of the war with Russia.
Zelensky responded at the time, saying Trump was living in a “disinformation space.”
The tensions appeared to peak last Friday during a heated meeting in the Oval Office, after which Trump stated that the Ukrainian president was not “ready for peace.”
Zelensky arrived at the White House last week, expecting to meet with Trump and sign off on a deal granting the US access to Ukraine’s critical mineral supply.
Trump had marketed the deal as a way for the US to recoup some of the aid it had provided to Ukraine during its war with Russia, while also boosting Ukraine’s economy in the long run.
However, Trump called off peace talks, and the agreement was left unsigned following the Oval Office incident.
Trump said earlier Monday that the minerals deal was not dead, and Zelensky could restart talks by expressing gratitude for US assistance.