U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss on March 3 the possible suspension or complete cancellation of military aid to Ukraine, including weapons pledged by the Biden administration, The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing an undisclosed source.
The news comes after Trump's public spat with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House on Feb. 28 that upended plans to sign a natural resources treaty between the two countries.
An unnamed administration official told NYT that Trump will meet on March 3 with his top national security aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to review and potentially act on a range of policy options for Ukraine.
Among the issues to be considered will be the suspension or cancellation of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, including the latest shipments of ammunition and equipment authorized during the Biden administration, the official said.
Zelensky has repeatedly urged the U.S. to continue shipping arms to Ukraine to strengthen Kyiv's position in future peace negotiations with Russia.
The Trump administration has not authorized new weapons shipments for Ukraine, but has not halted those that were announced under the previous Biden administration.
Reuters reported in early February that opposing factions within the administration had been debating whether the U.S. should continue providing weapons.
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with $65.9 billion in military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his term freezing foreign aid funding for 90 days.
Chris York
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on March 2 that a number of European nations, including the U.K. and France, are developing a 'coalition of the willing' that will include "planes in the air and boots on the ground" in an effort to negotiate a successful ceasefire in Ukraine.
Starmer added that for any coalition to succeed, Europe must "have strong U.S. backing."
"(European allies) will go forth to develop a 'coalition of the willing' to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace," Starmer said during a press conference following a European leaders summit in London. "Not every nation will feel able to contribute but that can't mean we sit back. Instead those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency."
"The U.K is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air. Together with others, Europe must do the heavy lifting," Starmer said. "This is not a moment for more talk... If you want to preserve the peace, you have to defend the peace."
Dmytro Basmat
(Updated: )
