Donald Trump halts aid to Ukraine after heated row at White House with President Zelenskyy
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President Donald Trump has halted aid to Ukraine following his fallout with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at The White House last week.
Joined by Vice President JD Vance, Trump and Zelenskyy got into an argument during a heated meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, 28 February.
The world leaders were meeting to discuss a potential minerals deal between the two nations, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which started over three years ago.
During the meeting, relations became incredibly tense, with Trump telling Zelenskyy he's 'gambling with WW3'. Have a look below:
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In the end, Zelenskyy left The White House early, with a planned press conference cancelled, before flying over to the UK where he had meetings with prime minister Keir Starmer followed by a summit with European leaders the next day.
During the heated meeting on Friday, Trump could be heard telling the Ukrainian president: "You either make a deal or we are out.
"Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel, because you're in no position to dictate that... You're in no position to dictate what we're going to feel.
"We're going to feel very good and very strong. You're not in a very good position, you've allowed yourself to be in a bad position... you don't have the cards right now... you're gambling with the lives of millions of people.
"You're gambling with World War III!"
Now, days on from the disastrous meeting, the Trump administration has paused all aid to Ukraine.
According to Fox News, this includes weapons in Poland or in transit until Zelenskyy demonstrates a commitment to peace.
"President Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace," a White House official told Fox News. "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."
"This is not permanent termination of aid, it's a pause," said another official. "The orders are going out right now."
The US is overwhelmingly the biggest donor of aid to Ukraine, and - according to the Kiel Institute - has given $69 billion (£54.6 billion) in military aid to the country between the start of 2022 and the end of 2024.
Neither Trump nor Zelenskyy have commented directly on the move.
In a statement released over the weekend, Zelenskyy spoke about how 'vital' the support of the US has been.
He wrote: "We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I'm thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people.
"Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion. America's help has been vital in helping us survive, and I want to acknowledge that.
"Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners. But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals. It's crucial for us to have President Trump's support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do. We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It's a fight for our freedom, for our very survival."
In the lengthy statement, which can be read on X in full, Zelenskyy added: "We want peace. That’s why I came to the United States, and visited President Trump. The deal on minerals is just a first step toward security guarantees and getting closer to peace. Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that Putin will not return tomorrow.
"American people helped save our people. Humans and human rights come first. We’re truly thankful. We want only strong relations with America, and I really hope we will have them."