The U.S. Defense Department confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation Monday evening that military aid to Ukraine has been halted.
All current military aid to Ukraine is paused until President Donald Trump can determine a good-faith commitment to peace from Ukrainian leaders, according to Bloomberg. The pause, which includes weapons either in transit or in Poland, comes just days after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy got into a heated discussion while meeting in the Oval Office on Friday to finalize the U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal.
During the gathering, Zelenskyy publicly criticized the U.S. for not attempting to halt Russia. Trump quickly responded, stating that Ukraine was not in a position to call out the U.S., given the billions in aid already provided to the country, and he warned Zelenskyy that he was “gambling” with World War III.
Following the gathering, Trump later posted on Truth Social that Zelenskyy was not ready for “peace” with the White House telling Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese that “nothing will be signed.”
While Trump has advocated for peace between Russia and Ukraine since his campaign, Zelenskyy has appeared to flip-flop on ending the war. In a statement Sunday evening, following the Oval Office argument, Zelenskyy said an “agreement to end the war is still very, very far away, and no one has started all these steps yet,” according to the Associated Press.
In response to Zelenskyy, Trump posted on Truth Social Monday, calling out the Ukrainian president. He wrote that it was not only “the worst statement” that could’ve been made, but that 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 U.S.,” Trump wrote.
While Democrats have criticized Trump and Vice President JD Vance over their meeting with Zelenskyy, Republicans have called out the Ukrainian president’s behavior. Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a historically staunch defender of Ukraine, said Zelenskyy “obliterated” the U.S. efforts to bring peace.
In reaction to the aid pause, retired U.S. Army officer Daniel Davis told Fox host Laura Ingraham on “The Ingraham Angle” that he hopes the halt will change Zelenskyy’s “disposition” as the U.S. seeks to bring peace between the two countries.
“I certainly hope it changes its disposition,” Davis said. “Instead of recognizing reality, Zelenskyy, unfortunately aided by the Biden administration, and then all of Europe continued to ignore the reality and just go year after year fighting this war that could never have been won.”
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“His people have been killed in huge numbers since. Now that you have Trump coming in, who’s unequivocally saying this war is coming to an end and he doesn’t want to,” Davis added. “So now then, that really, in my view, just sealed the deal for Trump because Trump’s trying to get the war over with, and this guy seems to want to fight it. If he does, then he can try to do it on his own.”
Before all aid was paused, the Trump administration also halted financing for new weapons sales to Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The financial pause comes after American taxpayers have contributed over $130 billion to aid the country since former President Joe Biden involved the U.S. in February 2022. Notably, Zelenskyy told the Associated Press on Feb. 1 that he had received only about $75 billion of the $177 billion the United States had approved for Ukraine.
On Friday, Zelenskyy told Fox News host Bret Baier that he was still open to signing the U.S. mineral deal and thanked U.S. leaders on X following the Oval Office meeting.
Featured Image Credit: The White House
