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The Trump administration announced on Monday that it is pausing all military aid to Ukraine, according to a White House official.
The change follows the president’s controversy with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, D.C. last week.
“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,” said the official.
Zelenskyy was expected to sign a mineral rights deal while in Washington on Thursday. Instead, he exchanged heated words with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office, with the deal abruptly ended.
Trump has applied pressure on both Ukraine and Russia to make a deal to end the conflict since returning to office.
In January, Trump shared a post to his Truth Social account calling on Russia to “make a deal” to end the conflict in Ukraine.
“I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process, Trump began.
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” he continued.
Trump warned that taxes, tariffs and sanctions would be made against Russia if the war is not ended soon.
“If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries,” he wrote.
The president argued that the war with Ukraine could be ended the “easy” way or the “hard” way.
“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!” he concluded.
