White House announces immediate halt to U.S. military aid for Ukraine
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
The United States paused all future and ongoing military aid packages to Ukraine immediately, the White House announced on Tuesday. Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, told CNN the decision was intended to prompt Ukraine to engage in negotiations with Russia.
The pause came after a contentious meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 28, which ended without a finalized minerals deal previously proposed by Trump. After that meeting, Trump said Zelenskyy was not "ready for peace."
Image: The White House.
The head of the Ukrainian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Oleksandr Merezhko said it appeared Trump was "pushing us towards capitulation."
A White House official said "[t]he President 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."
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine could continue fighting the Russians in the short term.
Polish President Donald Tusk stated that U.S. military aid had indeed been halted, referencing reports from the Polish border. He characterized the situation as an "emergency."
Related news
Sources
- Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, Lisa Mascaro. "Trump pauses US military aid to Ukraine while pressuring Zelenskyy to move toward quick end to war" — Associated Press, March 4, 2025
- Erin Banco, Max Hunder, Olena Harmash. "Trump says Ukraine willing to negotiate, Russia 'ready for peace'" — Reuters, March 4, 2025
- Brett Samuels. "Trump pauses aid to Ukraine amid clash with Zelensky" — The Hill, March 4, 2025
- Tim Zadorozhnyy. "US suspends Ukraine military aid to pressure Zelensky into talks, Trump adviser says" — The Kyiv Independent, March 4, 2025
