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US president’s reported transfer comes hours after he accused Ukrainian chief of not wanting peace.
United States President Donald Trump has paused navy support to Ukraine in a dramatic escalation of his spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump will pause all support till Kyiv is dedicated to what he determines are good-faith negotiations for peace, a number of US media shops reported on Monday, citing unnamed Trump administration officers.
The transfer got here hours after Trump accused Zelenskyy of not wanting peace “as lengthy he has America’s backing” in a submit on Reality Social, escalating a disagreement that culminated in a surprising public conflict between the 2 leaders on the White Home on Friday.
The choice to droop the switch of a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} in arms and ammunition that’s within the pipeline is more likely to deal a severe blow to Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s invasion.
Whereas the US Congress has not authorized any new navy support past the $86 billion already dedicated to Ukraine since Trump’s inauguration in January, former US President Joe Biden authorized transfers to proceed supplying gear for at the least a number of years.
Earlier than Trump’s order, Washington was on observe to produce month-to-month deliveries value $920m this yr, up from $500m in 2024, in line with an evaluation by the Washington-based Heart for Strategic and Worldwide Research and Worldwide Research.
The contemporary nadir in US-Ukraine relations comes after Trump took concern with Zelenskyy’s suggestion that the tip of his nation’s battle with Russia was doubtless nonetheless “very, very distant.”
Talking on the White Home on Monday, Trump mentioned the Ukrainian chief “higher not be proper” and the cautious ought to “finish quick.”
“If anyone doesn’t wish to make a deal, I feel that particular person received’t be round very lengthy,” Trump mentioned. “That particular person is not going to be listened to very lengthy.”
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