New York/Washington, Mar 4: President Donald Trump has announced an immediate halt to all American military assistance to Ukraine, shortly after a contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
A report from The New York Times, citing a senior administration official, indicated that Trump has temporarily suspended military aid to Ukraine, a decision that will impact “over $1 billion in arms and ammunition in the pipeline and on order”.
The report elaborated that Trump’s decision stemmed from a series of discussions at the White House with his top national security advisors.
The official remarked that “the order would remain in effect until” Trump perceives that Ukraine has shown a genuine commitment to peace talks with Russia.
Additionally, the order puts a pause on “hundreds of millions of dollars in aid through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allocates funds strictly for purchasing new military equipment from US defense contractors.”
As per the US State Department, Washington has provided approximately USD 65.9 billion in military assistance since Russia commenced its aggressive full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, totaling around USD 69.2 billion since Russia first invaded in 2014.
This recent development represents a significant setback for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, just days after a tumultuous exchange occurred between Trump, Vice President J D Vance, and Zelensky, who was visiting the White House last Friday to discuss a rare mineral agreement.
However, discussions between Trump and Zelensky took a dramatic turn, resulting in a heated interaction in front of international media.
Near the conclusion of the approximately 50-minute press conference, Vance addressed the Ukrainian president, stating, “It’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office and attempt to address this publicly with the American media. … you should be expressing gratitude to the president for inviting you to this conference.”
The dialogue intensified when Trump told Zelenskyy, “You are risking the lives of millions of individuals. You are risking World War Three. This is incredibly disrespectful to this nation, which has supported you more than many skeptics acknowledge.”
Both Trump and Vance also expressed their concerns over Zelensky’s seemingly insufficient appreciation for the US support extended to Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia.
As global leaders rallied on social media platform X to show their solidarity with Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leader maintained a consistent message in response, conveying, “Thank you for your support.” (PTI)
