The US government has suspended military aid to Ukraine, as President Donald Trump continues to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia.

Trump’s Monday order to pause military aid to Kyiv comes days after the heated Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy last Friday. The American President along with Vice President J.D. Vance tore into the Ukrainian President for, what they believe, has been insufficient gratitude for Washington’s military aid to the Eastern European nation.

White House officials, according to media reports, have said that Trump believes the suspension in the military aid will continue until Zelenskyy shows that he is ready to negotiate with Russia for peace. The suspension would affect roughly $1 billion in arms and ammunition, which was set to be transferred to Kyiv.
Trump slammed Zelenskyy late Monday evening, over the Ukrainian President’s statements in London that peace with Russia 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! It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US,” said Trump in a social media post on Truth Social.
The move to fully suspend the transfer of arms and ammunition widens the rift between the two leaders—Trump and Zelenskyy—at a critical moment in the war, which could allow Russia to push for more territorial gains on the battlefield. The American President has shifted the burden to end the war on Ukraine, despite the conflict being started by Moscow.
It was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced the “special military operation” in the early hours of 24 February, 2022, which started the open conflict between the Eastern European nations. However, since 2014, Ukraine and Russia have been in conflict with one another, after Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.
The dramatic escalation by Trump, further puts the US on opposite sides with his European allies. A number of American allies including the UK, France and Germany Sunday pledged to further support Kyiv, even as ties between the US and Ukraine remain strained. However, it is yet to be seen if the European nations have enough arms stockpiles to make a considerable difference for Ukraine to defend itself.