WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 28: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office at the White House on February 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump and Zelensky are meeting today to negotiate a preliminary agreement on sharing Ukraine’s mineral resources that Trump says will allow America to recoup aid provided to Kyiv while supporting Ukraine’s economy. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The rift between the U.S. and Ukraine deepened after President Donald Trump cut military aid to Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, following the Ukrainian leader’s bleak assessment of the war with Russia.
After attending a London summit with 18 allied nations, Zelensky warned reporters that peace was still “very, very far away.” His remarks infuriated Trump, who took to Truth Social to lash out:
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer!”
Within hours, Trump convened an emergency meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to determine a response.
A White House official later confirmed:
“The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
The “pause” in military aid extends to undelivered weapons previously authorized under the Biden administration. The move threatens to leave Ukraine without critical defense systems, including:
A senior administration official told The Wall Street Journal:
“The Ukrainians didn’t think we were serious. We had to make a demonstration.”
The decision comes just days after Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky in a tense Oval Office showdown. Trump accused Ukraine of lacking gratitude for the $180 billion in U.S. aid sent since Russia’s invasion.
“You’re either going to make a deal, or we’re out. And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out,” Trump told Zelensky during the heated exchange.
Trump doubled down on his criticism of Europe, accusing the UK-led “coalition of the willing” of being too weak to handle Ukraine’s defense without U.S. backing.
“Europe flatly admitted that they cannot do the job without the U.S. Probably not a great statement to make in terms of showing strength against Russia. What are they thinking?” he said after the summit.
As Trump turns away from Ukraine, European leaders are scrambling to fill the gap. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a €150 billion Defense Loan Plan to help finance Ukraine’s war effort.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk—Trump’s close ally and leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—called Zelensky “evil” for allegedly pushing a “forever war.”
“Zelensky wants a never-ending graft meat grinder. This is evil,” Musk wrote on X.
Without U.S. backing, Ukraine faces a dire situation, with Russian forces intensifying their offensive. Zelensky has scrambled to shore up European support, but even NATO allies admit they lack the firepower of the U.S.
Trump, however, is standing firm on his ultimatum: Ukraine must negotiate with Russia or risk being left to fight alone.
With American support on hold and Europe struggling to keep up, the fate of Ukraine’s war effort is now more uncertain than ever.
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