All US weapons deliveries to Ukraine stop after Trump gives order to shut off aid
U.S. weapons deliveries to Ukraine came to an abrupt halt on Monday evening after President Donald Trump ordered a pause on all aid to the war-torn country, the Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday.
After the order was given, all U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine came to a stop, as of 6 p.m. on Monday evening, according to a defense official. Planes carrying supplies en route to Ukraine would have had to turn around, the official said.
The pause came days after a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Friday devolved into a shouting match as Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian leader, claiming he had not thanked the U.S. enough for its support. Trump dismissed Zelenskyy from the White House, canceling a lunch and press conference planned for the visit.
Zelenskyy, backed by Ukraine's European allies, had resisted negotiating an end to the war without a security guarantee to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine again in the future. But on Tuesday, hours after the aid shipments stopped, he announced he was ready to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, saying it is "time to make things right" with Trump.
"None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer," he said.
Zelenskyy also left the Oval Office clash without signing an agreement with Trump to grant the U.S. access to some of Ukraine's rare earth minerals. Trump has argued that the deal would indirectly protect Ukraine by intertwining American private business interests with the country, thereby deterring Russian aggression.
Although additional Ukraine funding has not been allocated since Trump took office, some funding authorized by former President Joe Biden had yet to be sent. As of Dec. 19, $5.2 billion of that funding was still left, according to the Defense Department.
It was unclear, as of Tuesday, whether Ukraine's direct contracts with U.S. weapons manufacturers, procured through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, would also be impacted. As of mid-December, $1.7 billion out of the $21.2 billion fund had not been used.
Aid pause could be 'detrimental' for Ukraine
While Ukraine may not feel the impacts of the U.S. aid freeze on the frontlines immediately, it could affect Ukraine's defensive capabilities most, which could take a "detrimental" toll on civilian casualties, said Karolina Hird, deputy lead of the Institute for the Study of War's Russia Team.
Many of the critical missile systems that guard Ukrainian cities against Russian attacks are provided by the U.S., like Patriot batteries and NASAMs.
Trump's cutoff of aid ramped up the pressure on European allies to take on the financial burden of supporting Ukraine. On Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a plan to mobilize up to 800 billion Euros, nearly $850 billion, for Europe's defense and support of Ukraine in the face of what she called "the most momentous and dangerous of times." The bloc will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, European countries have provided Ukraine with $145 billion in aid. The U.S. has provided more than $120 billion in that time span, according to a tracker run by the Kiel Institute.
But a boost in European spending wouldn't compensate Ukraine for the loss of support from the U.S., which supplies some of its most crucial air defense systems, like the Patriot missile defense system.
"Ukraine is going to have less protection, because they won't have those sophisticated systems, and the Europeans don't have perfect analogs for these systems yet," Hird said.
The U.S. has given Ukraine at least three Patriot batteries and 12 NASAMs since Russia invaded, according to the Defense Department. Patriot systems, the Army's most advanced air defense system, can take down ballistic and cruise missiles, while NASAMs can intercept some aircraft, UAVs, and cruise missiles, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The U.S. is also one of the main producers of 155mm ammunition for Ukraine, Hird said. It has provided more than 3 million rounds worth since the start of the war.
Ukrainians also won't be able to continue long-range strikes using U.S.-made ATACM missiles. Biden lifted a ban on Ukraine using the weapons to strike deep within Russia's borders in November. Although the U.K. and France have provided Ukraine with Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles, they have a range of around 155 miles, compared with ATACMs, which can reach up to 190 miles.
While Russia has made small advances in the past year, they have taken "absolutely staggering" casualties, Hird said.
If the pause is not lifted, Ukraine could start to see the effects in June or July, when there are no backups of their weapons supplies.