President Donald Trump has halted all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, including weapons in transit and stockpiled in Poland, until Ukrainian leaders show more gratitude for American support and commit to peace talks.
A White House official confirmed the decision, stating that the administration is reviewing the aid to determine whether it is contributing to a long-term solution. Another senior official clarified that this is a temporary suspension rather than a permanent withdrawal, but aid will not resume until Ukraine signals its willingness to engage in meaningful peace talks.
The decision comes after a tense meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, which quickly escalated into a heated exchange. Zelenskyy had traveled to Washington following Trump’s comments that a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia was within reach.
However, the meeting took a turn when Zelenskyy pushed back against a minerals-for-security deal proposed by the Trump administration, arguing that it lacked essential security guarantees to prevent another Russian invasion.
When challenged, the Ukrainian leader pointed out that Russia had violated past agreements multiple times, including during Trump’s first term. In response, Trump accused him of risking a broader global conflict by refusing to negotiate, telling Zelenskyy he was “gambling with World War Three.”
The dispute did not end there. Over the past week, Trump and Zelenskyy have exchanged public criticisms, with Trump labeling the Ukrainian president a “dictator without elections” and Zelenskyy countering that Trump is living in a “bubble” of Russian disinformation.
Their verbal sparring has fueled speculation about whether the U.S.-Ukraine alliance can survive under Trump’s leadership, though Zelenskyy has maintained that the relationship remains intact due to the historical ties between the two nations. He has repeatedly expressed gratitude to the American people for their support but has been reluctant to meet Trump’s demands for a more public show of appreciation.
The pause on military aid has sparked strong reactions in Washington, particularly among congressional Democrats, who have accused Trump of abandoning an ally and playing into Russian hands.
Representative Mark Takano of California called the move a sign of weakness, while Representative Joe Courtney of Connecticut described it as a concession to Putin’s aggression. Many lawmakers have pointed to Congress’s prior approval of military assistance, arguing that Trump’s actions contradict the intent of U.S. policy toward Ukraine.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has made it clear that a peace agreement remains far off, despite Trump’s claims that the war could be resolved soon. When asked about ongoing European efforts to mediate a settlement, the Ukrainian president described them as being in the early stages, warning that no concrete steps had been taken.
Trump, who views Ukraine’s reluctance as a major obstacle to his strategy, fired back on social media, stating that Zelenskyy’s attitude was unacceptable and that the United States would not continue supporting him indefinitely.
According to Trump, European leaders themselves admitted they cannot sustain Ukraine’s defense without American involvement, raising questions about the long-term viability of the war effort.
Despite the sharp divide, Trump has insisted that the minerals-for-security agreement is still a possibility and plans to discuss it further during an upcoming address to Congress. The deal would grant the United States access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, a strategic resource critical for modern defense and technology industries. Trump has suggested that such an agreement would help Ukraine secure economic and military support, but Zelenskyy’s refusal to sign without additional guarantees remains a sticking point.
For now, military aid to Ukraine remains frozen, with Trump making it clear that future support depends on two things: gratitude from Kyiv and real progress toward ending the war. The outcome of these negotiations will determine whether the strained relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine can be repaired or if the divide between the two leaders will only grow deeper.