Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine after public spat

President Donald Trump harangues Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Trump's aid cutoff was 'essentially an ultimatum,' forcing Zelenskyy to 'agree to a ceasefire on terms' Trump dictates

(Image credit: Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)

What happened

President Donald Trump Monday at least temporarily suspended the delivery of all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, a White House official told news organizations. Trump "has been clear that he is focused on peace," and he is "pausing and reviewing" the aid to ensure that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "committed to that goal as well," the official said.

Who said what

Trump "has long been skeptical of aid to Ukraine," The Washington Post said, but this decision stemmed from Friday's "rancorous Oval Office shouting match" where Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance berated Zelenskyy for what they saw as insufficient gratitude for the $67 billion in military aid the Biden administration gave Ukraine to fight off its Russian invaders.

The freeze "dramatically escalates the breach" between Trump and Zelenskyy "at a critical moment in the conflict," and the "most immediate beneficiary" is Russian President Vladimir Putin, The New York Times said. Trump's aid cutoff was "essentially an ultimatum," forcing Zelenskyy to "agree to a ceasefire on terms" Trump dictates, while Putin "can use the time to press for further territorial gains" or "hold back from any negotiations at all."

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What next?

The freeze will continue until Trump is convinced Zelenskyy is making good-faith efforts to participate in peace talks with Russia, a White House official said. Thanks to a final "surge of new weapons approved by the Biden administration," Ukraine "likely has enough weapons to keep fighting Russia at its current pace until the middle of this year," The Wall Street Journal said. Then it would "lose its supply of some sophisticated weapons."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.