Trump orders pause on military aid to Ukraine in the wake of last week’s Oval Office clash with Zelenskyy
The move comes as Trump ramps up his attacks on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. financial support for Ukraine’s war against Russia.
Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery in the direction of Chasiv Yar, Ukraine on Jan. 27.Wolfgang Schwan / Anadolu via Getty Images file
March 3, 2025, 7:45 PM EST / Updated March 3, 2025, 8:11 PM EST
By Gabe Gutierrez, Courtney Kube and Zoë Richards
The Trump administration is pausing military aid to Ukraine, according to a White House official and a U.S. official.
“The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well,” the White House official said Monday. “We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
The move comes after an explosive meeting in the Oval Office on Friday, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance said the Ukrainian leader wasn’t grateful for the billions of dollars in aid provided to his country in the three years since Russia invaded.
After the meeting, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Zelenskyy “disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office,” and told reporters that the Ukrainian leader had “overplayed his hand” and was looking to continue fighting over seeking peace.
Trump says minerals deal not dead, but Zelenskyy should be ‘more appreciative’ of U.S. aid
Russia occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine.
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In the weeks leading up to the White House meeting, Trump had falsely said that Ukraine was responsible for Russia’s invasion, arguing Kyiv could have made a deal to avoid the conflict. He also referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator,” after Zelenskyy suggested that Trump was being influenced by Russian disinformation.
Zelenskyy said Sunday that he is still willing to sign a deal that would allow the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, and that he believes Ukraine’s relationship with the U.S could be salvaged after last week’s White House meeting. The Trump administration had previously indicated that Zelenskyy would sign the minerals deal during last week’s visit to the U.S.
Gabe Gutierrez is a senior White House correspondent for NBC News.
Courtney Kube is a correspondent covering national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit.
Zoë Richards is a politics reporter for NBC News.
