Donald Trump paused all military aid to Ukraine to pressure Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire with Russia.
The extraordinary move came after Mr Trump launched a fresh attack on the Ukrainian president, who he said “won’t be around very long” if he does not end the war soon.
It leaves Ukraine, which is already suffering from a weapons and manpower deficit, facing the prospect of scaling down operations when attrition rates on the frontline are the highest since the war began.
A White House official said late on Monday night: “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.”
The US wants Mr Zelensky to offer an immediate ceasefire and hardliners in the Trump administration, including Elon Musk, blame the Ukrainian leader for prolonging the war.
Halting weapons is seen as a way to force Mr Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire on Mr Trump’s terms or face losses on the front lines. It could also effect Ukraine’s ability to defend its cities from Russian airstrikes.
The move also puts significant pressure on European allies to come up with a plan for peace in Ukraine that Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, can accept.
On Tuesday morning, Australia said it may be willing to join a “coalition of the willing” proposed by Sir Keir Starmer, with troops on the ground in Ukraine. However, Mr Zelensky has expressed doubts about whether he would accept Western soldiers in Ukraine as part of a peace deal.
Mr Trump’s order could have an immediate effect on Ukrainian stockpiles, although some estimate the country has enough weapons to keep fighting until the summer at the current intensity. The order also halts funds for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows US dollars to buy new hardware.
Key figures in the Trump administration are also considering curtailing intelligence-sharing and training for Ukrainian troops and pilots, according to the Washington Post.
Meanwhile, the White House is signalling closer relations with Putin and on Monday Mr Trump ordered treasury officials to draft a list of sanctions that could be eased on Russia. On Sunday, the Pentagon chief ordered US spies to halt work countering Russian cyber threats.
JD Vance, the US vice president who clashed with Mr Zelensky in the White House on Friday, piled further pressure on Ukraine in an interview late on Monday.
Speaking on Fox News, he said Ukraine’s president “showed a clear unwillingness to engage in the peace process” sought by Mr Trump.
“But I think he’ll get there eventually,” the vice president said. “He has to.”
Mr Vance said the minerals deal was the only “realistic” means to bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“That is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years,” he said, seemingly referring to British and French plans to install a peacekeeping force in Ukraine to ward off Russian invasions.
Earlier in the day, Mr Trump had said: “If somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long. That person will not be listened to very long. Because I believe that Russia wants to make a deal.”
The military aid cuts follow a meeting between Mr Trump and senior members of his administration including Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary. The White House is said to be split behind the scenes over how much pressure to exert on Mr Zelensky and Ukraine.
Members of Mr Trump’s administration earlier briefed that the Ukrainian president must publicly apologise for his part in last week’s Oval Office shouting match and declare that he wants peace before he can resume talks with Mr Trump.
Source: telegraph.co.uk
