Trump to discuss suspension of military aid to Ukraine - NYT

A Trump administration official said that the US President will meet with officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to consider and possibly act on many policy options for Ukraine.

According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, these include suspending or canceling US military assistance to Ukraine, including the most recent shipments of ammunition and equipment authorized and paid for under the Joe Biden administration.

Assistance to Ukraine

In April 2024, the US Congress approved an aid package to Ukraine worth about $61 billion. This happened after the package had been blocked for 6 months due to the position of Republicans who were focused on Donald Trump.

Of the total aid, $48.4 billion was allocated through the US Department of Defense. The largest amount, $13.8 billion, was earmarked for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, under which weapons are manufactured at American enterprises by order of the Pentagon.

In addition, $23.2 billion was allocated to replenish US arms stockpiles, $13.8 billion to purchase weapons for Ukraine, and $11.3 billion for ongoing US military operations in the region.

The Biden administration did not have time to spend the entire amount on arms transfers to Ukraine. The balance of funds was about $4 billion. After Trump's inauguration on January 20, this aid continued to flow.

Trump's meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on February 28 ended in a quarrel. Afterward, the Ukrainian president traveled to London, where European leaders discussed increasing aid to Ukraine.

According to The Wall Street Journal, without US military aid, Ukraine has enough weapons to continue fighting at the current pace until the summer.