President Donald Trump has ordered a pause on shipments of U.S. military aid to Ukraine following a heated Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, a White House official told CNN on Monday.
The decision, made after a series of high-level meetings with top national security officials, could significantly impact Ukraine’s war effort, analysts and officials warned. The pause will remain in effect until Trump determines that Zelensky has made a clear commitment to seeking peace talks, essentially pressuring Ukraine to the negotiating table by withholding crucial military assistance.
“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 White House official said.
The halt in aid marks the most tangible sign yet of deteriorating relations between Washington and Kyiv since Trump took office. Over the past several weeks, Trump has echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric, falsely asserting that Ukraine initiated the war and labeling Zelensky a dictator. His decision to freeze military support is expected to have serious consequences on the battlefield and could bolster Russia’s position in the ongoing conflict.
Aid Suspension Could Weaken Ukraine’s Defense
According to officials, the pause will apply to all military equipment not yet inside Ukraine. While Western analysts believe Ukraine can sustain its current fighting pace for a few more weeks—possibly until early summer—the long-term impact could be severe. The Biden administration had rushed shipments of weapons, including advanced long-range ATACMS missiles, before leaving office, enabling Ukraine to strike deep into Russian-held territory. Without continued U.S. support, this capability may diminish.
Although European nations might partially compensate for lost U.S. artillery shipments, Ukraine relies heavily on American-supplied high-tech weaponry. Military analysts caution that a prolonged aid suspension could prove devastating.
‘Crippling’ Impact on the Battlefield
“The impact is going to be big. I would call it crippling,” said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who has closely tracked the war. Cancian estimated that Ukraine would begin to feel the effects of the aid freeze within two to four months, as European support helps maintain operations in the short term.
“That’s why they don’t fall off a cliff, but when your supplies get cut in half, eventually that shows up on the front lines,” Cancian explained. “Their front lines would continue to buckle, and eventually they would break. Ukraine would have to accept an adverse—even catastrophic—peace settlement.”
Cancian also warned that the Trump administration could go further in restricting assistance by pausing intelligence sharing and halting the training of Ukrainian forces. “There might be a way out of this, but it’s going to be extremely humiliating for Zelensky,” he said.
Political Fallout and European Reaction
The White House’s decision follows an Oval Office confrontation on Friday, after which Trump and his senior aides sought an acknowledgment from Zelensky about the strained U.S.-Ukraine relationship. According to multiple officials, Trump’s team is considering requiring Zelensky to issue a public apology before resuming discussions on military aid or finalizing a rare earth minerals agreement that was near completion before the diplomatic fallout.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly echoed this demand in an interview with CNN, urging Zelensky to apologize for the tense meeting.
Trump’s move has placed him at odds with key U.S. allies, including Britain and France, who reaffirmed their support for Ukraine at a London summit over the weekend.
“There is a capability gap that Europe cannot fill alone,” a U.S. official acknowledged.
A European official condemned the U.S. decision as “petty and wrong,” warning that it would erode Ukrainian trust in Washington and lead to unnecessary civilian casualties. The official predicted that without continued military aid, Ukraine’s air defenses could soon be depleted, leaving cities vulnerable to Russian missile strikes.
“I’m beyond disappointed,” the official told CNN.
Since the war began, the Biden administration had authorized 74 separate military aid packages, rapidly supplying Ukraine with critical munitions. While Zelensky has publicly expressed gratitude for past U.S. support, the sudden halt in aid raises serious questions about Ukraine’s ability to sustain its defense in the months ahead.
