KYIV – Ukrainians grappled Tuesday with the ramifications of a U.S. decision to pause military aid that is critical to their fight against Russia’s invasion, as a rift between Kyiv and Washington deepens.
Days after an explosive meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the assistance halted in a bid to pressure Kyiv to engage in peace talks with Russia.
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Ukraine and its allies are concerned Trump is pushing for a quick ceasefire that will favor Russia, and Kyiv is looking for security guarantees to ward off possible future Russian invasions.
A White House official said the U.S. was “pausing and reviewing” its aid to “ensure that it is contributing to a solution.” The order will remain in effect until Trump determines that Ukraine has demonstrated a commitment to peace negotiations with Russia, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the assistance.
Ukraine needs help to fight Russia
Ukraine, which depends heavily on foreign help to hold back the Russian invasion that began on Feb. 24 2022, has feared that aid could be stopped since Trump took office.
U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile systems, for example, are a pivotal part of Ukraine’s air defenses.
Just as vital is U.S. intelligence assistance, which has allowed Ukraine to track Russian troop movements and select targets. Ukraine’s European allies couldn't make up for a U.S. withdrawal of that asset if it proves to be part of the pause.
“I feel betrayed, but this feeling is not really deep for some reason. I was expecting something like that from Trump's side,” said a Ukrainian soldier fighting in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukraine launched a daring military incursion in August 2024 to improve its hand in negotiations. The soldier spoke by phone to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to speak freely about his thoughts as he was not authorized to speak to the press.
On the frontline, where Ukraine is struggling to fend off the much larger and better-equipped Russian army, another soldier said the U.S. decision would enable Russia to make further battlefield gains.
“War is very pragmatic,” he told the AP on condition of anonymity in compliance with military regulations. “If we have weapons, enough ammunition, infantry, armored vehicles and aviation — great. If not, then we’re done,” he said.
He recalled a seven-month delay in U.S. aid that ended in April 2024 but in the meantime opened a door for the Russian capture of the strategically important city of Avdiivka.
Others said the move has left even greater confusion about Donald Trump’s intentions.
“The problem is that it’s unclear what Trump wants and what the purpose of his actions is,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, Ukrainian lawmaker and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. “As of today, it appears that he is increasingly siding with Russia and trying to pressure Ukraine into accepting Russia’s demands.”
“This looks terrible — forcing the weaker side to accept the terms of the stronger aggressor,” he told AP.
Olena Fedorova, a 46-year-old resident of the southern port city of Odesa, said she hoped Trump’s decision would be “a temporary measure” because “we really need help.”
The U.S.-Ukraine relationship has taken a downturn in recent weeks as Trump’s team launched bilateral talks with Russia and Trump’s demeanor toward Zelenskyy has become increasingly dismissive.
Trump says he wants to get traction for peace negotiations. He vowed during his campaign to settle the war in 24 hours, but in January changed that time frame and voiced hope that peace could be negotiated in six months.
Russian government backs aid pause while European allies stress support for Kyiv
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Washington's decision could act as a spur to a peace agreement.
“The U.S. has been the chief supplier in this war so far,” Peskov said. “If the U.S. suspends these supplies it will make the best contribution to peace.”
Russia will likely try to use the halt in supplies to extend its territorial gains and strengthen its position in prospective peace talks.
Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency quoted Andrei Kartapolov, a retired general who chairs the defense committee in the lower house of Russian parliament, predicting that Ukraine would exhaust its current ammunition reserves within months. “We need to keep up the pressure and continue to target their bases and depots with long-range precision weapons to destroy the stockpiles,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's European allies reaffirmed their commitment to Kyiv.
The chief of the European Union’s executive proposed an 800 billion euro ($841 billion) plan to beef up defenses of EU nations to lessen the impact of potential U.S. disengagement and provide Ukraine with military muscle.
The British government, which has been leading European efforts to keep Trump from pushing to end the war on terms that could favor Moscow, said in a statement that it remains “absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based defense think tank, said Washington’s move could encourage Russia to ask for more Ukrainian concessions, including demilitarization and neutrality.
“This decision is not about economics. It is driven fundamentally by Trump’s view that Russia is willing to do a peace deal, and only Ukraine is the obstacle,” Chalmers said. “But there is no evidence that Russia would be prepared to accept a deal, and what that would be.”
Trump said on Monday that he is still interested in signing a deal that would hand over a share of Ukraine’s minerals to the United States, an agreement that Zelenskyy has also said he is ready to sign.
“By abruptly halting military assistance to Ukraine, President Trump is hanging Ukrainians out to dry and giving Russia the green light to continue marching west,” said Razom for Ukraine, a Ukrainian advocacy group. “Razom for Ukraine urges the White House to immediately reverse course, resume military aid and pressure Putin to end his horrific invasion.”
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Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv and Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this story.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine