The Trump administration is considering cutting off all remaining military aid to Ukraine, citing President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks during their Oval Office meeting on Friday.
A White House meeting on Friday between US President Donald J. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Zelensky descended into a heated exchange, with Trump and Vance hurling accusations at Zelensky and Ukraine.
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A senior administration official, speaking anonymously to The Washington Post (WP), said the decision, if made, would affect billions of dollars’ worth of radars, vehicles, ammunition, and missiles awaiting shipment under the presidential drawdown authority.
The official also dismissed claims that Donald Trump and J.D. Vance’s tense exchange with Zelensky was pre-planned, insisting that “efforts were made to strike a more positive tone” ahead of the meeting.
According to the WP’s source, this was reflected in Trump dropping his accusation that Zelensky is a “dictator” before their talks.
The New York Times (NYT) reported that Zelensky entered the White House on Friday already aware that US military shipments to Ukraine had effectively stopped.
Later that day, a Trump administration official told the NYT that all US assistance—including the final shipments of ammunition and equipment approved under the Biden administration—could soon be canceled entirely.
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Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, military aid under Biden was announced roughly every two weeks—sometimes just days apart. However, NYT reported that with about $3.85 billion still authorized for Ukraine from the Pentagon’s stockpile, the Trump administration could pull the plug before these shipments are delivered.
A former senior defense official under Biden added that the last arms Ukraine purchased from US defense firms would be shipped within the next six months.
More than just weapons at risk
The NYT report warned that the Trump administration may also end indirect support for Ukraine, including:
- Military financing
- Intelligence sharing
- Training for Ukrainian troops and pilots
- US military coordination of international aid from a base in Germany
“After Friday’s spectacle in the Oval Office, the Trump administration official said the president might decide to end even the indirect support being provided by the US,” the NYT wrote.
Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly exaggerated US support to Ukraine, according to data from the Kiel Institute, a German research organization. He has also falsely claimed that European contributions were loans Kyiv must repay.
In reality, European nations have provided $138 billion to Ukraine’s war effort—more than the $119 billion in US military and humanitarian aid, the NYT reported.
As US aid winds down, Ukraine’s primary source of military assistance will be the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), a coalition of roughly 50 nations formed in April 2022.
On Feb. 6, the Pentagon announced it was handing leadership of the UDCG to the UK, signaling a potential shift in responsibility for coordinating Ukraine’s defense support.
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