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President Donald Trump on Monday ordered a “suspension” of US support for Ukraine as he attempts to pressure Ukrainian President Voldy Zelenki to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia.
The move comes days after a disastrous oval office meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance were torn apart by King Zelenkie, as they perceived as inadequate gratitude for the more than $180 billion in military aid the United States sent to Kiev since Russia’s invasion three years ago.
White House officials said Trump is focused on reaching a peace deal and hopes Zelensky is “committed” to that goal. Officials added that the US is “pausing and reviewing” its assistance to ensure it is “contributed to the solution.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss support.
The order will remain effective until Trump determines that Ukraine has demonstrated its commitment to peace talks with Russia, officials said.
The suspension of military aid attempted to pressure Zelensky to begin an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, about five years after Trump maintained parliamentary support for Ukraine. That moment led to Trump’s first blast each.
In his lead-up to the 2024 election, Trump vowed to quickly end the war in Ukraine. He showed growing frustration with Zelensky in the war, and at the same time expressed confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has long admired, can trust him to maintain peace if an armistice reaches it.
Trump denounced Zelensky early on Monday for suggesting that the end of the war was “still very, very far away.” Zelenskyy had suggested that it would take time to end the war as he sought to provide a positive view on the US-Crane relationship in the aftermath of last week’s White House meeting.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not hold back much longer!” Trump said in a post about his true social platform that Zelenskyy responded to comments made to reporters late Sunday.
Trump mentioned Zelenskyy’s reported comments at a White House event later Monday, claiming Ukrainian leaders “isn’t right about it.”
Zelenskyy later took social media to explain his thoughts further. He did not directly address Trump’s comments, but emphasized that “it is very important to try and make diplomacy really substantive to end this war as up-to-date as possible.”
See the fierce exchange between Ukrainian President Voldy Mie Zelensky, US President Donald Trump, and Vice President of Oval Office JD Vance.
“We need real peace and the Ukrainians want it most because the war is ruining our cities and towns,” Zelensky added. “We’re losing people. We need to stop the war and ensure security.”
The Trump administration and Ukrainian officials were expected to approve the transaction during Zelenskyy’s visit last week, which would grant access to Ukrainian important minerals to repay the US for the aid it sent Kiev since the start of the war. The White House had billed such agreements as a way to tighten relations between the US and Ukrain in the long term.
In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, which aired Monday evening, Vance said that European allies were causing harm by pushing Ukraine against Zelensky and not pushing him to find an end to the war.
“Many of our European friends inflate him,” Vance said. “They say you know, you’re a fighter of freedom. You need to keep fighting forever. Now, what will you fight forever? Whose money, who’s ammunition, and with whom’s life?”
Democrats said suspending aid to Ukraine was dangerous and unwise.
Democrat Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, co-chairman of Parliament’s EU Caucus, said the decision was “reckless, irrepreneurial and a direct threat to national security.”
The Biden administration has provided Kyiv with more than $66.5 billion in military aid and weapons since the war began. It had left around $3.855 billion in Congress-certified funds to send more arms to Ukraine from its existing US stockpile.
“This aid was approved by Congress on a bipartisan basis. Republicans and Democrats alike have recognized that their position with Ukraine is against democracy and Putin’s invasion,” Boyle said in a statement. “Even so, Trump, who repeatedly praised Putin and weakened our allies, is now playing a political game with military aid.”
Democrat Dan Goldman, who served as a lawyer to house Democrats in the first round each investigation into Trump, said the aid suspension was Zelensky’s “another horror.”
“This is the exact opposite of peace through strength,” Goldman said. “Instead, what it is, is another horror to President Zelensky, who was illegally withheld to President Zelensky to agree to the mineral trade.”
Trump’s national security adviser said Zelensky’s stance in the oval office on Friday would “hold up in the air” regardless of whether the US administration can handle it in the future.
“Is he ready, personally and politically, to move his country to the end of the battle?” Mike Waltz said Monday in Fox News’ “American Newsroom.” “And will he and he need a compromise?”
Waltz added another layer of doubt about US support as other well-known Trump allies, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Sen. Lindsey Graham.
During a Sunday meeting with European leaders in London, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believes the relationship will continue with the US.
Angela Stent, former national intelligence director for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council, said it is likely that Putin will never end the war in the rift between Trump and Zelensky, between Europe and the United States.
“He thinks Russia is winning. … And he thinks the West will be more destroyed over time,” said Stent, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington.
Trump on Monday suggested he had not given up on the economic deal, calling it “great.” He added that he hopes to talk about the deal in Tuesday’s speech before the council’s joint session.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who co-chairs the Ukrainian Caucus in Congress, spoke with Andry Yermack, Zelenki’s Chief of Staff, about getting back on track with Zelenki’s Chief of Staff, Andry Yermack.
The leading GOP senators have shown they are looking at the path to get Us-ukraine relationships back on track before the announcement of suspension aid.
“We were able to lower the temperature,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, Rn.C.
Sen. Mark Wayne Marin, an Oklahoma Republican and Trump’s close ally, said he believes the president and Zelensky can “go through it.”
“Making the mineral trade is the first step,” Marin said. He said Zelensky then needs to be “realistic about what the peace deal will look like.”
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Associated Press authors Tracy Brown, Lolita C. Baldor and Marc Levy contributed to this report.
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