Donald Trump Halts US Military Aid To Ukraine After Clash With Zelenskiy

• US President Donald Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine following his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy
• The announcement was met initially on Tuesday by silence from the Ukrainian government and Zelenskiy
• The White House had no immediate comment on the scope and amount of aid affected or how long the pause would last

US President Donald Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine following his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

This is expected to hamper Ukraine's efforts to fend off Russia.

Reuters reported that Trump has upended US policy on Ukraine and Russia upon taking office.

The reversal culminated in an explosive confrontation with Zelenskiy at the White House on Friday, in which Trump upbraided him for being insufficiently grateful for Washington's backing.

"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," a US official told Reuters.

Read also

Trump gives Chevron a month to 'wind down' Venezuela operations

The White House had no immediate comment on the scope and amount of aid affected or how long the pause would last.

According to Reuters, military experts said it could take time for the halt in aid to be felt on the battlefield.

When US assistance was held up for several months last year by Republicans in Congress, the most notable initial impact was shortages of air defences to shoot down incoming Russian missiles and drones.

The announcement was met initially on Tuesday by silence from the Ukrainian government and Zelenskiy.

Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Ukrainian parliament's foreign affairs committee, said it looked like Trump was "pushing us towards capitulation".

The Kremlin said pausing US military aid would be the best contribution towards peace, although it still had to confirm details of Trump's move.

Europeans are racing to boost their own military spending and provide alternative support for Kyiv, including a plan to put troops on the ground to support any ceasefire, though they say they still need some form of U.S. support.

Read also

'We will endure': Mexican truckers stoic in face of Trump tariffs

Source: YEN.com.gh