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Hours after US President Donald Trump’s administration announced a pause in military aid to Ukraine following the Oval Office clash with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, a French minister said on Monday that the US decision makes peace “more distant”.
“Fundamentally, if you want peace, does a decision to suspend arms to Ukraine reinforce peace or does it make it more distant? It makes it more distant, because it only strengthens the hand of the aggressor on the ground, which is Russia”, Reuters quoted Benjamin Haddad, the junior minister for Europe, as telling France 2.
The Trump administration is pausing all aid to Ukraine, including weapons in transit or in Poland, “until Ukrainian leaders show more appreciation for the US support and a commitment to peace”, Fox News reported.
The suspension affects deliveries of ammunition, vehicles, and other equipment, including shipments agreed to during Biden’s term as US president.
A senior Trump administration official told the channel that military aid will remain on hold until Ukrainian leaders show a commitment to good faith peace negotiations.
Poland’s deputy defence minister Cezary Tomczyk, meanwhile, has reportedly described the move as “bad news”.
According to Reuters, the Ukrainian parliamentary foreign affairs committee chair has told the panel that “it looks like Trump is pushing Ukraine towards capitulation”.
Last week, during media interaction with Ukraine President at the Oval Office , Trump used some strong words, telling the visiting leader that Volodymyr Zelenskyy “does not have the cards” and is not “acting thankful” for the support the United States has provided to Ukraine in its war with Russia, which began in February 2022.
The two leaders had an exchange in an explosive press conference with the Ukrainian President emphasising the need of security guarantees and noting that the Russian President Vladimir Putin had continued with his actions against his country even during Trump’s first term as President.
US Vice President JD Vance also expressed his disapproval of Zelenskyy’s remarks, saying it is “disrespectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country.”
Trump emphasised the need of a deal to bring peace and prevent killings and told Zelenskyy “if you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks”.
