U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered an immediate suspension of all military aid to Ukraine, a senior Defense Department official told Bloomberg on March 3.
The move escalates pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky just days after a heated Oval Office exchange raised doubts about U.S. support for Kyiv.
According to the official, all U.S. military assistance to Ukraine is on hold until Trump determines that Ukrainian leaders are making a genuine effort toward peace.
The directive, which takes effect immediately, impacts over $1 billion in weapons and ammunition. An official who spoke to The New York Times on condition of anonymity said the decision followed a series of White House meetings between Trump and his senior national security advisers.
"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," a White House official told CNN this evening.
The freeze affects not only future aid but also weapons already in transit, including shipments on aircraft and ships, as well as equipment awaiting transfer in Poland.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with $119.8 billion in assistance, including $67.1 billion in military aid, $49 billion in financial aid, and $3.6 billion in humanitarian aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
The decision comes after a tense meeting between Trump and Zelensky on February 28, where disagreements over military aid and Ukraine’s strategic position intensified.
Following the meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of being unwilling to pursue peace. “He is not ready for peace," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace.”
The White House has not specified what actions Ukraine must take to restore the flow of military aid, leaving uncertainty over the timeline and conditions for its resumption.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Trump expects Zelensky to demonstrate a commitment to negotiating a peace deal to end the war. The official reiterated that the U.S. is "pausing and reviewing" its military aid to ensure it is "contributing to a solution."
