Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a suspension of all military aid to Ukraine, a senior Defense Department official told Bloomberg on March 3, escalating pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky mere days after a heated exchange in the Oval Office cast doubt on U.S. support for Kyiv.
According to the official, all U.S. military assistance to Ukraine is on hold until Trump determines that Ukrainian leaders are making a genuine effort toward peace.
The directive goes into effect immediately, impacting over $1 billion in weapons and ammunition. An official who spoke to the New York Times on condition of anonymity, said the decision followed a series of White House meetings between President Trump and his senior national security advisers.
"The 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," the White House official said this evening, according to CNN.
The pause affects not only future aid but also weapons already in transit, including shipments on aircraft and ships, as well as equipment awaiting transfer in Poland.
The U.S. has provided assistance worth $119.8 billion since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, including $67.1 billion in military aid, $49 billion in financial aid, and $3.6 billion in humanitarian aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Oleg Sukhov
The decision follows a contentious meeting between Trump and Zelensky, where disagreements over military aid and Ukraine’s strategic stance fueled tensions.
Following the meeting, Trump said that Zelensky "is not ready for peace." "He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump posted on Truth Social on Feb. 28.
The White House has not specified what steps Ukraine must take to restore the flow of military aid, leaving uncertainty over the timeline and conditions for its resumption.
A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that Trump expects Zelensky to be "committed" to negotiate a peace deal to end the war. Additionally, the U.S. is "pausing and reviewing" its military aid to ensure it is "contributing to a solution."
Dominic Culverwell
(Updated: )
