In an unexpected move, US President Donald Trump has paused all military aid to Ukraine, in a bid to pressure Kyiv into accepting the proposed peace negotiations with Russia. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking for a security guarantee, Trump wanted him to accept the peace deal to save lives being lost due to the war.
This comes days after Trump and Zelensky had a heated exchange in the Oval Office during the latter’s visit to the US. Following the showdown, Zelensky abruptly ended the meeting and walked out, all recorded on media camera. However, since then, Zelensky has softened his tone saying that the United States is crucial for Ukraine in war against Russia.
A White House Official told the AFP that Trump’s focus is on peace and the US wants its partners to be committed to the same goal. “We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution,” the official added.
Trump had earlier termed Zelensky a dictator and suggested that the Ukrainian President ‘won’t be around very long’ if a ceasefire deal is not reached with Russia. Meanwhile, after the US visit, Zelensky went to London to attend the European Summit where he met leaders of the European nations.
Trump has also been pushing Ukraine for ‘minerals for aid’ deal. In a recent statement, Trump said, “It is a great deal for us because Biden very foolishly, stupidly gave 350 billion dollars to a country to fight…We get nothing…We could have rebuilt our entire US Navy with 350 billion dollars…What we are doing is getting that all back…”.
Zelenskyy yesterday said that Ukraine was fighting for normalcy and safety, and added that it wants the war to end. He, however, alleged that Russia does not want the war to end. “Ukraine is fighting for the normal and safe life it deserves, for a just and reliable peace. We want this war to end. But Russia does not, and continues its aerial terror: over the past week, more than 1,050 attack drones, nearly 1,300 aerial bombs, and more than 20 missiles have been launched at Ukraine to destroy cities and kill people. Those who seek negotiations do not deliberately strike civilians with ballistic missiles. To force Russia to stop its attacks, we need greater collective strength from the world,” he said.
Stay informed on all the , real-time updates, and follow all the important headlines in and on Zee News.
