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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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved new sanctions targeting Russian maritime operators, defence-linked companies and individuals connected to Moscow’s military and energy sectors, according to official decrees issued on Saturday.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed on Saturday (21 February) that its forces had captured another settlement in eastern Ukraine.
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Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of on Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday (21 February) that he will raise temporary tariffs on nearly all U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum allowed under the law, after the Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program.
Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings, including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.
Iran announced on Saturday (21 February) that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal move after the EU blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
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A “Victory will be ours” banner was hung on the Russian Embassy in Seoul, ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It remains on display despite a request from the South Korean Foreign Ministry on Sunday (22 February) for its removal, sparking widespread criticism.
North Korea’s Workers' Party of Korea has re-elected Kim Jong Un as general secretary during the party congress in Pyongyang state media reported.
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