Trump administration pauses U.S. military aid to Ukraine | Global News Avenue

The White House confirmed on Monday that the Trump administration has stopped U.S. military aid to Ukraine. This is the latest consequence Controversial meetings After President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy erupted in the White House Dispute in front of a TV camera.

“The president is very clear that he is focused on peace,” a White House official told CBS News. “We also need our partners to work on that goal as well. We are suspending and reviewing our aid to ensure it contributes to the solution.”

The United States has always been the main arms supplier in Ukraine Resist the Russian army Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion three years ago. But Mr. Trump’s return to office has brought it Apparent shifts In the U.S. policy to conflict, the President Criticize Ukraine For the war, Russia began.

Friday’s meeting was intended to fall into confrontation ahead of an economic and mineral agreement between the United States and Ukraine.

Mr. Trump told Zelenskyy to reach a ceasefire with Russia, or “we go out,” and Vance accused the Ukrainian president of questioning the vice president’s claim that he delayed the lawsuit against the war due to lack of diplomacy by the Ukrainian and Biden administrations. The meeting ended suddenly, and no rare earth mineral agreement was signed, several White House officials told CBS News, The future of Ukrainian military aid In doubt.

Since Mr. Trump took office in January, it has $3.85 billion Reduced authorization for weapons U.S. officials previously told CBS News that this could be pulled from existing U.S. stocks and sent to Ukraine. However, since January 21, the Trump administration has not provided any assistance for a single shipment. According to defense officials, the Biden administration has promised in its early gradual reductions that there are still weapons sent to Ukraine.

The $3.85 billion spending mandates, rather than the funds allocated by Congress, meant a decision on whether to release aid, which was up to the White House. It is also not considered “real money”, which means it cannot be spent elsewhere.

In addition, the State Department also has about $1.5 billion in Ukrainian military financing, a policy review by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. So far, the Trump State Department has only given Egypt, Israel FMF assistance is exempted.

Zelenskyy travels to London after Friday’s meeting Summit with Europe Canadian leaders stressed the importance of Western security assurances, part of any agreement that would end the war. He said in Ukrainians that peace with Russia was “still very, very far away”, but he believed that Ukrainian-US relations would come true.

Mr. Trump later posted a link to an Associated Press story covering Zelenskyy’s comments and wrote: “This is the worst statement Zelenskyy can make and the United States won’t stand it for longer!”

“That’s what I said, as long as he has the support of the United States, Europe, in their meeting with Zelenskyy, he doesn’t want peace, Europe says flatly that they can’t do the job without the United States – probably not a good statement on the performance of Russia’s strength. What are they thinking?” Mr. Trump added.

Mr. Trump’s strong stance on Ukraine shocked some Republican lawmakers.

“I don’t think we should pause our efforts. It’s Ukrainians who are bleeding. It’s Putin who launched an unreasonable and unreasonable attack on freedom, democracy and sovereign states. And I don’t support my support for Ukraine.”

“I simply say we have to get back on track again,” Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, said on the Armed Forces Committee, ahead of the Trump administration’s announcement on Monday.

“It is crucial that we have to put together a mineral agreement and work to reach a security agreement with Ukraine,” the round told the Parliament reporter. “They were attacked. Russia was wrong, but we wanted to find a way to peace, which means someone had to be an intermediary. I don’t know if the president would. We need to give him a chance, but Russia is the invader and we have to recognize that.”

Mr. Trump said last month he had a “long and productive call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin and also directed Rubio and other members of his national security team to “start immediately” negotiations with the aim of ending the Russian-Ukraine war.

But Rubio said in February that there is still a “long way to go” before the peace talks begin.

Delegation led by Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Meet in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaShortly after these comments, no Ukrainian officials were present. State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce said after the meeting that Rubio and Lavrov had agreed to appoint “a senior team to start on the road to end the Ukrainian conflict as soon as possible in a lasting, sustainable and acceptable way.”

Contributed to this report.