Military financing has been stopped, and officials are meeting to consider suspending another type of assistance
The Trump administration has halted funding for new weapons sales to Ukraine and is considering freezing arms shipments from U.S. stockpiles, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The pause on arms financing aligns with the administration’s broader freeze on foreign aid, but the latest move to potentially cut off military support follows a heated Oval Office exchange on Friday between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The meeting ended abruptly, with Zelenskyy leaving the White House ahead of schedule, according to U.S. officials cited by the WSJ.
A White House meeting on Monday reportedly addressed whether to further restrict weapons transfers to Ukraine. Participants included Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, The Washington Post reported.
Friday’s meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy was expected to result in the signing of a critical minerals development agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine—a step Trump viewed as essential to advancing peace efforts between Kyiv and Moscow. However, the contentious exchange led to the cancellation of a scheduled luncheon and press conference.
Although Secretary of State Rubio has signed a waiver exempting Ukraine from the foreign aid freeze, the State Department has yet to notify the Pentagon, effectively leaving Ukraine cut off from receiving weapons under the Foreign Military Financing program, according to the WSJ.
Ukraine has multiple avenues to secure U.S. weapons, but the most critical has been presidential drawdown authority, which allows the Pentagon to transfer arms from its own stockpiles. Even if Trump proceeds with further restrictions, Ukrainian forces are expected to have sufficient weapons to sustain operations against Russia through mid-2025, thanks in part to a major arms transfer completed under the Biden administration.
The fate of the critical minerals deal remains uncertain. Trump is expected to address the matter in his Tuesday night speech before Congress, while Zelenskyy has expressed a willingness to proceed with signing the agreement despite Friday’s diplomatic fallout.
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Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
U.S. Central Command said 101 commercial vessels have been redirected in the Strait of Hormuz, while oil prices rose more than three per cent amid fresh regional attacks and supply concerns.
A Russian strike on a farm warehouse in Pryluky, north-central Ukraine, has killed at least three people, local police said. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said an attack on a train near the Polish border was an attempt to intimidate Ukraine's allies.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said Iran is keen to reach a deal quickly, but a senior Iranian security official rejected the claim, saying Tehran will not negotiate until its conditions are met.
A Danish military helicopter came within “metres” of being struck by flares fired by a Russian warship, Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said on Tuesday. Russia accused Denmark of carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near its ship, and said it was investigating the incident.
A Danish military helicopter came within “metres” of being struck by flares fired by a Russian warship, Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said on Tuesday. Russia accused Denmark of carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near its ship, and said it was investigating the incident.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to scrap Biden-era carbon emission limits on coal- and gas-fired power plants, marking a major reversal in U.S. climate policy.
University students in Mexico have held a vigil for a 21-year-old Spanish exchange student killed in the central state of Morelos, with authorities investigating her death as a possible feminicide.
Every day since a torrent of mud and rocks destroyed a Nepal-China border crossing high up in the Himalayas last month, Arushi Gupta's parents have called and messaged their missing daughter hoping she somehow survived.
Foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand delivered opening statements on Tuesday at the first meeting of a UN arbitration process to resolve a long-running maritime dispute between the two Southeast Asian neighbours.
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