Trump Increases Pressure on Zelensky: "Complete Halt to Military Support for Ukraine"
Bloomberg Cites Senior U.S. Defense Official
All Military Aid Halted Until "Good-Faith Commitment to Peace"
Earlier Trump-Zelensky Summit Ended Without Agreement
U.S. President Donald Trump has completely halted military aid to Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on the 3rd (local time), citing a senior U.S. Department of Defense official. This move was made as a pressure tactic against Ukraine. It is interpreted as a strategy to gain an advantage over Ukraine in the upcoming mineral agreement negotiations by increasing the level of pressure.
The official stated that President Trump instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to suspend all military aid to Ukraine until Ukrainian leaders demonstrate "a good-faith commitment to peace." The military equipment affected by the suspension includes aircraft, ships, weapons in transit, and weapons waiting in the transit zone in Poland.
This measure reportedly follows the order given by President Trump to Secretary Hegseth. The exact meaning of a good-faith commitment to peace was not specified.
It is still unknown how much military aid will be impacted by President Trump's order. President Trump took office with approximately $3.85 billion remaining in the so-called presidential "drawdown authority," which allows the U.S. military to withdraw weapons stockpiles for foreign use, left over from the previous Joe Biden administration. Bloomberg noted that it is uncertain whether the Trump administration will actually use that money for Ukraine and pointed out that the U.S. weapons stockpile appears insufficient and may need replenishment.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was scheduled to sign a mineral agreement with the U.S. after a summit with President Trump at the White House in Washington D.C. on the 28th of last month. The core of the mineral agreement is that half of the revenues from Ukraine's natural resources and infrastructure would be invested in a fund jointly owned by the U.S. and Ukraine. However, when President Zelensky refused to accept these demands, the two engaged in a heated argument, after which Zelensky left the White House abruptly. The mineral agreement signing was also canceled.
Following the no-deal situation of the mineral agreement, President Trump shared a news article on his social media platform Truth Social reporting on President Zelensky's remarks, calling it "the worst statement made by President Zelensky" and stating, "The U.S. will no longer tolerate this." He added, "As I said, this guy does not want peace (an agreement) as long as U.S. support exists."
Although President Zelensky said he was "ready to sign the mineral agreement" to manage the fallout from the disastrous summit, the Trump administration is pressuring Ukraine, even mentioning the possibility of regime change.
Hot Picks Today
"Most Americans Didn't Want This"... Americans Lose 60 Trillion Won to Soaring Fuel Costs
- "Striking Will Lead to Regret": Hyundai-Kia Employees Speak Out... Uneasy Stares Toward Samsung Union
- Man in His 40s Who Kept Girlfriend's Body for a Year After Murder Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison Again on Appeal
- Despite Captivating the Nation for Over a Month... "Timmy" the Whale Ultimately Found Dead
- "If You Booked This Month, You Almost Lost Out... Why You Should Wait Until 'This Day' Before Paying for Flight Tickets"
However, when asked by reporters whether the mineral agreement between the two countries was over, President Trump replied, "No," leaving open the possibility of resuming the failed mineral agreement negotiations. President Trump's order to halt military aid to Ukraine is interpreted as an effort to increase pressure on Ukraine ahead of potentially renewed mineral agreement talks.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
