The move by President Donald Trump to suspend military aid to Ukraine, raises doubts about Kyiv’s capacity to continue fighting Russian aggression, and questions on Europe’s ability to fill the gap in funding.
Citing U.S. unnamed officials, Bloomberg and CNN reported that Washington would pause military assistance for Ukraine until Trump determines that Ukraine is committed to peace.
A White House official confirmed the pause in aid, telling PBS in a statement: “President Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
Newsweek has contacted the White House and the Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.
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Why It Matters
There is continuing fallout of the clash between Zelensky and Trump and the halting of aid appears to be a consequence of the meeting. This raises questions about Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, whether its European allies can step in, and where Russian aggression might be directed next.
What To Know
The unnamed U.S. Department of Defense official said the supply of all American military equipment not currently in Ukraine would be halted, including weapons en route by planes and ships or awaiting transit in Poland.
The decision follows Friday’s spat between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who was accused by the American leader of risking “World War Three.”
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko has said that Kyiv should repair ties with Washington and apologize if it has to and work with Republicans and Democrats. Ukraine also needs to develop a plan on how to survive without U.S. help, he added.
Vuk Vuksanovic, associate at the London School of Economics think tank LSE IDEAS told Newsweek that it even if the freeze of aid does not produce an immediate military outcome, it deals a major psychological and political blow to Ukraine.
The freeze on aid would include critical munitions, guided multiple launch rocket systems and anti-tank weapons and other capabilities, Bloomberg reported.
The US is suspending all current military aid to Ukraine, including that already on its way to Ukraine and that already in Poland.
What do you think we should do now?
1. Resolve the issue with the Trump administration: if we need to apologize, we need to apologize. Our main…
— Oleksiy Goncharenko (@GoncharenkoUa) March 4, 2025
U.S. Aid Breakdown
The Kiel Institute said the U.S. has provided Ukraine with about $66.9 billion in military aid, roughly in line with the Pentagon‘s figures—compared with 62 billion euros (about $64.8 billion) from Europe.
U.S. assistance includes air defense equipment, ammunition, missiles, laser-guided rocket systems, air surveillance radars, helicopters, bomb launchers, as well as tanks, armored vehicles and more. Congress has appropriated $174.2 billion for Ukraine since 2022, including humanitarian and financial assistance.
Europe could fill the gap if U.S. aid were to stop, provided there is the political will to do so, François Heisbourg from the International Institute for Strategic Studies told Politico, but it is not all about money.
This is because some U.S. weapons systems would be difficult to replace because they are either produced in limited quantities in Europe or not manufactured there at all.
Meanwhile, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the outlet that Kyiv had around six months before its forces would feel the lack of weapons on the front line.
In analysis on what Ukraine stands to lose, independent Russian language outlet iStories reported that Kyiv would be unable to replenish its stock of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems, which can shoot down Russian missiles.
The Wall Street Journal reported that this would force Ukraine to make difficult choices about which sites to defend and which to leave exposed to Russian strikes.
Ukraine would lose access to guided rockets and missiles for multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS)—both tracked MLRS and wheeled HIMARS units. Europe’s SCALP and Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which are launched from aircraft would not be able to fully replace U.S.-supplied long-range rocket systems.
This would rob Ukraine of the ability of striking Russia’s weapons depots, command centers, airfields, and training grounds which have disrupted logistics.
However, a key issue for Ukraine would be the loss of U.S. military intelligence which surpasses European countries thanks to its satellite surveillance and other ways of collecting information, according to the BBC.
What Ukraine And Europe Should Do
When asked for comment about what Kyiv should do, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko referred Newsweek to his X thread in which he calls for Ukraine to resolve the issue with the Trump administration and that “if we need to apologize, we need to apologize” because the goal is not to lose the war or people.
Goncharenko, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons said Kyiv should working with both Republicans and Democrats and come up with a concrete plan on how to survive without Washington’s help.
He also said Kyiv should set emotions aside and appeal to reason and that it needed to work with Trump, not against him, adding that “the situation is not lost yet.”
Vuksanovic, from LSE IDEAS said without U.S. assistance, it is difficult to assess how long Ukraine can continue the fight but with ongoing manpower problems and Russia’s campaign of attrition, the Ukrainian front lines may collapse at one point.
He told Newsweek on Tuesday that Europe cannot engage the Russians so close to their border, and it is difficult to see that the public opinion of European countries would back it up.
He also said that Trump wants the fighting to stop to promote himself as a dealmaker and a mineral deal with the Ukrainians will bolster his business-friendly credentials domestically.
Vuksanovic added it should not be discounted that Trump is rushing to get a peace deal because he is afraid of the Ukrainian forces collapsing and Russians seizing more territory, for which he does not want to be blamed by his opponents.
What People Are Saying
Unnamed White House official told CNN: “The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko: “Resolve the issue with the Trump administration: if we need to apologize, we need to apologize. Our main task is not to lose the war and not lose people.”
Vuk Vuksanovic, associate at the London School of Economics think tank LSE IDEAS: “Ukraine lost its main external backer … even if the freeze of aid does not produce an immediate military outcome, it is still major psychological and political damage that is going to be felt both among the Ukrainian leadership and its troops.”
What Happens Next?
Bloomberg reported that Trump had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to enforce this pause although it is unclear what the exact quantity of U.S. aid would be affected.
However, the European Commission has announced on Tuesday that it proposed to spend 150 billion euros ($157 billion) via a program to allow EU countries to increase its military assistance for Kyiv, via loans to help produce air defense systems and weapons.