The Donald Trump administration has paused military aid to Ukraine, days after President Zelenskyy got involved in a fiery verbal spat with the US President during their meeting in the White House.
“The president has been clear that he is focused on peace,” a White House official told CBS News.
“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 official told the news channel.
The US has been a major supplier of weapons to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in 2022.
However, there has been a shift in the US approach towards the war after President Donald Trump took charge of his office for the second term in January.
Fiery Talks In White House
According to video footage of the press appearance going viral, Zelenskyy was caught in a verbal spat with Trump and US Vice President JD Vance.
While Vance accused Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful”, Trump said he is “gambling with World War Three”.
President Zelenskyy responded in equal measure, saying, “We are in our own country, and we have stayed strong all this time. We have even thanked you for it (your support)”.
While Zelenskyy left the meeting after the heated exchange, Trump said the Ukraine president can come back to the White House “when he is ready for peace.”
Zelenskyy Hopes For US Support
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday hoped for continuous US support in securing peace.
He wrote on X: “We need real peace and Ukrainians want it most because the war ruins our cities and towns. We lose our people. We need to stop the war and to guarantee security.”
“We are working together with America and our European partners and very much hope on US support on the path to peace. Peace is needed as soon as possible,” he said.
