Pentagon going behind Trump's back: Reuters reveals details of US aid freeze to Ukraine
Photo: Pete Hegseth, US Defense Secretary (Getty Images)
The suspension of military aid from the United States to Ukraine in February of this year came as a surprise even to the White House and US President Donald Trump, Reuters reports.
What precedes it
At the beginning of this year, the United States under Donald Trump froze funding for foreign assistance programs and grants. Reports indicated that this could potentially affect military aid to Ukraine.
According to The New York Times, the order to halt funding applied to most military and security assistance programs, including those for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Jordan.
However, just a few days later, the news emerged that the US had resumed military aid to Ukraine.
What Reuters discovers
According to three sources familiar with the situation, the suspension of aid occurred after Trump concluded a meeting in the Oval Office regarding Ukraine on January 30. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, American officials discussed the idea of halting aid to Ukraine, but Trump did not issue any orders to stop assistance to Ukraine.
Reuters reports that Trump was unaware of Hegseth's directive. According to the sources, other senior national security officials who attended the meeting were also unaware of this order.
In response to a request for comment on this report, the White House told Reuters that Hegseth carried out Trump's instruction to suspend aid to Ukraine, which, according to them, reflected the administration's position at the time. They did not explain why senior national security officials, typically involved in decision-making processes, were not aware of the order or why it was canceled so quickly.
"Negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine War has been a complex and fluid situation. We are not going to detail every conversation among top administration officials throughout the process. The bottom line is the war is much closer to an end today than it was when President Trump took office," said Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokeswoman.
US aid to Ukraine
The US has continuously supported Ukraine in its war against Russia. At the same time, US President Donald Trump stated in mid-February that Ukraine would continue to receive aid. However, Trump noted that "the money must be secured."
