United States pauses military aid to Ukraine

Bloomberg, citing a Pentagon official, and CNN, citing a White House representative, reported that US President Donald Trump has ordered the suspension of all military aid to Ukraine, increasing pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a spat at the White House.

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An unnamed US Department of Defense official said the US is holding up all pending military assistance until Trump determines Ukraine’s leaders demonstrate a “good-faith commitment to peace” as he formulates it.

The official said that the supply of all American military equipment not currently in Ukraine would be halted, including weapons en route by planes and ships or awaiting transit in Poland.

Bloomberg noted that Trump instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to enforce this pause.

Bloomberg added that it remains unclear exactly how much US aid is affected by Trump’s order.

“Even before Trump suspended Ukraine aid on Monday, it was unclear whether his administration would use the $3.85 billion in funding Biden’s administration left behind, particularly given that US weapons stockpiles are running low and need to be replenished,” Bloomberg reported.

By way of background, the US President Donald Trump and his administration share Russia’s talking points of capitulation of Ukraine. 

 In an interview on Fox News, US Vice President JD Vance confessed that Donald Trump felt little respect from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, so he insisted that their conversation on February 28, 2025, occur not in private, but in front of cameras.

Valerii Pekar, a professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, pointed out that the US President had earlier stated that he needed to end the war immediately.

“However, Putin is not ready for negotiations – he is only ready to accept Ukrainian capitulation in the form of demilitarization, “denazification” and the return of Russian agents to the public sphere to develop something between the Chechen and Georgian scenarios. The US has no leverage over Russia (although this is not true, but using influence looks more like escalation rather than a quick end to the war). In addition, the collapse of the Russian regime cannot be allowed, as Russia must be preserved and used against China,” he wrote on Facebook.

US billionaire Elon Musk, who is close to US President Donald Trump, wrote on X that Ukrainian President should be offered “amnesty” in a neutral country in exchange for “transition back to democracy in Ukraine”. This statement can be assessed as interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs.

According to the Art. 69 in Chapter III of the Constitution of Ukraine, the expression of the will of the people of Ukraine is exercised through elections, referendum and other forms of direct democracy.

Ukraine urges the international community to unite in restoring global security under the UN Charter and strengthen sanctions against Russia to enforce compliance with international law. Following Russia’s initial invasion in 2014, Ukraine has pursued the liberation of its territories within its internationally recognised 1991 borders while developing comprehensive reintegration strategies and policies for all liberated areas. 

A day earlier, Verkhovna Radaі published an address to US President Donald Trump, the US Congress and the American people, thanking the US for its support and highlighting the need for further development of a strategic partnership. The statement acknowledges that U.S. security assistance packages have been instrumental in stabilizing the situation on the front lines.

The Ukrainian parliament also highlighted the critical role of the United States in defending global ideals of freedom and democracy, emphasising the importance of adherence to international agreements and reliability in relations with allies and friends.

The Verkhovna Rada welcomed President Trump’s initiatives to launch negotiation processes to secure peace and underscored the necessity of further developing the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States, particularly in the exploration of critical minerals.