Donald Trump has halted any aid offered to Ukraine following his bust-up in the White House with President Zelenskyy
Early this morning (4 March), news broke that Donald Trump had made the decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine, following an unsuccessful meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week.
The 47th US president had a meeting with senior advisors on Monday before making the decision.
A public meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy took place last Friday in the Oval Office, where the former accused the Ukrainian president of ‘gambling with WW3’, as he left the White House with no progress made in peace deal talks.
If you haven’t seen the ordeal, have a look:
The order represents a move by Trump to give Zelenskyy an ultimatum, as several Russian officials shared their glee.
After the heated talks, it was announced that the pause to military aid would come into effect immediately, as a White House official told Sky News that while Trump is focused on peace, they want their ‘partners to be committed to that goal as well’.
Now, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko has commented on the situation, describing it as ‘catastrophic’.
It is the first comment on the situation from the European nation, which is currently at war with Russia.
Speaking to Sky, he told Wilfred Frost: “I understand we have a crisis in relationships right now after Friday’s meeting in the Oval Office, but I just want to ask Donald Trump to reconsider… maybe just give us some time to get out of this because this is catastrophic for us.”
Goncharenko went on to claim that ‘thousands of people will die’ following Trump’s move, also sending a message to Zelenskyy.
He claimed that the move will make the division with Russia bigger, calling for Zelenskyy to do ‘everything he can in order to get out of this’, stating that an apology to Trump is required.
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“We need to heal this division, we need to work together with America, we need to be together,” he claimed.
The MP also revealed that the Ukrainian leader previously said he wouldn’t seek re-election after being made president in 2019, suggesting that he ‘think about not running’ after the war ends.
Deborah Haynes, the security and defence editor for the news publication, highlighted what effects Trump’s decision would have on the world.
She explained: “It will have an immediate impact on its ability to fight on the frontline and to defend cities from Russian attacks.”
Haynes added that the Ukrainian air force shot down 65 of 99 Russian drones that were launched at the nation last night, highlighting that a third of them got through and that it’s ‘vital’ that they get military help from allies.
She concluded by claiming that Trump’s decision gives an overwhelming advantage to one country: Russia.
It had been reported by the New York Times that over $1 billion (£787.3 million) in arms and ammunition will be withheld by the US, with Ukraine now forced to deal with private contractors.
The UK government has since commented on the decision to pause military aid to Ukraine, as a spokesperson said: “We remain absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort.
“It is the right thing to do, and is in our interest to do so.”
