Trump Orders 'Pause' On Ukraine Aid, Pressures Zelenskyy For Peace Talks With Russia

US President Donald Trump on Monday ordered a temporary "pause" on US assistance to Ukraine following a turbulent meeting in the Oval Office, as he seeks to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into engaging in peace negotiations with Russia.

A White House official stated that Trump is prioritising a peace agreement to end the war, which has been ongoing for over three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

The official, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, explained that the US was "pausing and reviewing" its aid to "ensure that it is contributing to a solution."

Another White House official confirmed that the pause would affect all military equipment not yet delivered to Ukraine.

According to this official, the move is a direct response to what Trump perceives as Zelenskyy's poor conduct last week. They added that the pause could be lifted if Zelenskyy demonstrated a renewed commitment to negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

As a result, shipments to Ukraine-including vital munitions such as anti-tank weapons, thousands of artillery shells, and rockets-have been halted.

The decision follows the collapse of a planned agreement between the US and Ukraine, which was expected to be signed during Zelenskyy's visit last week.

The deal would have granted the US access to Ukraine's critical minerals, partially in repayment for the more than $180 billion in aid Washington has provided Kyiv since the war began.

However, the signing was abandoned after discussions in the Oval Office took a turn for the worse, leading White House officials to ask Zelenskyy and his delegation to leave.

Relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have deteriorated significantly, reaching a low point after last week's contentious meeting.

During the discussions, Trump and US Vice President JD Vance reportedly criticised Zelenskyy for what they saw as a lack of gratitude for US support since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in February 2022.

'NOT A PERMANENT TERMINATION OF AID'

A White House official clarified that the move is temporary and does not mark a permanent end to US assistance.

The pause will remain in effect until Trump determines that Ukraine's leadership is demonstrating a genuine commitment to peace, according to reports from Bloomberg and Fox News.

"This is not permanent termination of aid, it's a pause," a Trump administration official told Fox News.

A Bloomberg report further stated that Trump had directed US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth to implement the pause.