President Trump pauses Ukraine military aid : NPR

President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their Oval Office last Friday. Zelenskyy left the contentious meeting without a deal.

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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The Trump administration is pausing military aid to Ukraine, a White House official said, just days after a disastrous meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

 “The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well,” the White House official said, speaking on background. “We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”

The move comes a day before Trump is scheduled to speak to Congress, and as Europe is working to forge a coalition to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Monday night’s development is the latest twist in a saga that began last Friday when Zelenskyy visited the White House to finalize a deal on minerals, which Trump has said is a step toward a broader peace deal he is trying to broker. But the meeting between the two men deteriorated when they began openly arguing about how to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Trump accused Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III” and “disrespecting” the United States.

Ukraine has been pushing for security guarantees from the United States to prevent Russia from seizing more territory if there is indeed a ceasefire. Trump has been reluctant to commit to that.

In London Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Zelenskyy had agreed to work on a ceasefire plan with Britain and France. European leaders — with the exception of Hungary — largely supported Zelenskyy following his Friday Oval Office meeting with Trump.