On Monday, President Donald Trump ordered a “pause” in U.S. military aid to Ukraine following a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. His goal is to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into starting peace talks with Russia.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Trump is focused on reaching an agreement to end the war, which has lasted over three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to the official, the administration is “pausing and reviewing” aid to ensure it truly contributes to a peaceful resolution.
On Monday, Trump criticized Zelensky for suggesting that the end of the war is still “very, very far away.” His remarks come as Trump’s close allies are ramping up pressure on the Ukrainian leader to shift his approach toward Washington—or step aside.
The relationship between the two leaders has reached a breaking point after a tense meeting at the White House, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance scolded Zelensky for not being sufficiently grateful for U.S. support since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in February 2022.
“This is the worst statement Zelensky could have made, and the U.S. will not tolerate it for much longer!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in response to Zelensky’s comments in London on Sunday.
Later that day, at a White House event, Trump reacted to Zelensky’s remarks, warning that the Ukrainian leader “better be wrong about that.” “If someone is unwilling to negotiate peace, that person won’t last long,” he added.
Meanwhile, Zelensky sought to convey an optimistic message about the relationship between both countries. During a press briefing, he mentioned that the first steps of a new European initiative to end the war were still being defined and declined to provide details until the plans were put in writing.
However, Zelensky’s remarks about how distant a peace agreement still seemed to further irritate Trump. “This guy doesn’t want peace as long as he has U.S. and European support,” Trump wrote in another social media post. “In the meeting with Zelensky, he outright admitted they can’t do the job without the U.S. That probably wasn’t the best statement in terms of showing strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”
Shortly afterward, Zelensky took to social media without directly responding to Trump but emphasizing the urgency of achieving real peace. “Ukrainians are the ones who want the war to end the most because it is destroying our cities and taking lives,” he wrote. “We need to end this conflict and ensure security.”
