© Scott Peterson/Getty ImagesUkrainian soldiers operate a US-made Bradley armored vehicle • Sumy Region of Ukraine • January 15, 2025
According to Bloomberg, the freeze affects the equipment already designated for delivery, including weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit areas in Poland.
The suspension will stay in place until Trump sees that the Ukrainian leaders "demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace," Bloomberg said, citing a senior Pentagon official.
Comment: Given 'a genuine commitment to peace' - there should be no need. Why then send Ukraine more weapons/equipment to avoid it? Z isn't purchasing them.
According to the New York Times, the order takes effect immediately and affects more than $1 billion in "arms and ammunition in the pipeline and on order."
A White House official told Reuters:
"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 Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Monday that Washington has stopped funding new weapons sales to Ukraine and was considering freezing weapons shipments.
Trump has repeatedly accused Zelensky of undermining his effort to broker a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow. Their public feud culminated in an unprecedented shouting match during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday, after which Trump said that Zelensky was disrespectful to the US.
Zelensky has insisted that a ceasefire must be tied to security guarantees provided by the US and other Western countries. Trump, however, has refused to commit to specific guarantees and has ruled out making Ukraine a NATO member or contributing American troops to a potential peacekeeping mission.
On Sunday, Zelensky told reporters that "an agreement to end the war is still very, very far away, and no one has started all these steps yet." Trump condemned his statement on his Truth Social platform, promising:
"America will not put up with it for much longer. This guy doesn't want there to be Peace as long as he has America's backing."Zelensky told reporters last month that Ukraine had a "low chance" of survival without American aid.
The US is one of Kiev's principal suppliers of weapons, including M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley armored vehicles, M777 howitzers, HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and artillery rounds. As of December 2024, the Pentagon has committed more than $66 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2022.
Russia has stressed that no amount of Western aid would stop its troops in Ukraine.
A hybrid model utilizing Ramstein and allowing Ukraine to become a member of JEF could provide a realistic security arrangement based on existing institutional models already developed. The foundation and framework are already in place.
It appeals to the Trump administration because it reduces resource demands on the budget and military, increases Eurocentric defense, and maintains a strong partnership with the US.