President Donald Trump has directed a “pause” to US assistance to Ukraine, a White House official confirmed to the Associated Press.
It comes after the disastrous Oval Office meeting with President Zelenskyy on Friday, which saw the two leaders engage in a heated exchange.
A White House official said President Trump is focused on reaching a peace deal to end the more than three-year war sparked by Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine and wants Zelenskyy “committed” to that goal.
The official added that the US was “pausing and reviewing” its aid to “ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
The official spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the assistance.
President Trump and the Pentagon have not commented so far.
Media reports in the United States suggest the “pause” is not a permanent end to assistance.
News of the pause comes as US Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of “needling” Trump and having a “certain sense of entitlement”.
Sitting down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity early on Tuesday, Vance said the encounter, which happened in front of the media, “really set Zelenskyy off”.
“He showed a clear unwillingness to engage in the peace process that President Trump said is the policy,” he said.
“That’s the real breakdown. I think Zelensky wasn’t yet there. And frankly, still isn’t there. But I think he’ll get there eventually, he has to.”
Vance confirmed Ukrainian officials made at least one attempt to restart negotiations after leaving the White House, but efforts were shut down by Trump.
Earlier on Monday, Trump attacked Zelenskyy’s claim that peace is “very, very far away” as the “worst statement” he could have made less than a day after European leaders pledged to find a way to end the fighting.
Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, the US president said: “This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!”
Zelenskyy made the comments after meeting with European leaders on Sunday in London, where they pledged to work to guarantee Ukraine’s security after the war ended.
Despite the warm words shared in London, Trump still had criticism for those who attended the summit saying: “Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump also said: “Maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal,” not naming Zelenskyy but referring to him.
“And if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long. That person will not be listened to very long. Because I believe that Russia wants to make a deal.”
Soon after Trump commented, Zelenskyy took to X to say: “Peace is needed as soon as possible.”
But he added: “We need real peace and Ukrainians want it most because the war ruins our cities and towns. We lose our people. We need to stop the war and to guarantee security.”
Security guarantees have become a key dividing point between the US and Ukraine over how to end the war.
Ukraine insists it will not sign a peace deal that would not provide them with the security needed to prevent Russia from invading them again in the future.
Zelenskyy has pointed to the numerous agreements Vladimir Putin has broken in the past about respecting the sovereignty of Ukraine as a reason why security guarantees are needed.
The Trump administration is unwilling to provide the security Ukraine desires and believes the best option is to end the war as quickly as possible.
Earlier on Monday, Zelenskyy posted a video on X showing the damage Russian strikes had done to Ukrainian towns and cities in the past week.
He said: “We want this war to end. But Russia does not, and continues its aerial terror: over the past week, more than 1,050 attack drones, nearly 1,300 aerial bombs, and more than 20 missiles have been launched at Ukraine to destroy cities and kill people.”
He added: “Those who seek negotiations do not deliberately strike civilians with ballistic missiles. To force Russia to stop its attacks, we need greater collective strength from the world.”
Trump’s treatment of Zelenskyy has not gone down well with European leaders, even if many are trying to speak diplomatically.
On Monday, France’s prime minister harshly criticised the US president for his treatment of Zelenskyy in the White House.
Prime Minister Francois Bayrou described the incident as a “staggering scene unfurled before the lenses of the entire world, marked by brutality, a desire to humiliate, with the goal of making Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fold through threats so that he gives in to the demands of his aggressors.”
The criticism came as Europe began to detail more about its desire to end the war in Ukraine, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying the UK must “lead from the front.”
He said on Sunday that the UK and France would work together to find a “coalition of the willing” to secure Ukraine’s future.
ITV News also understands there is a joint initiative between Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron to secure a one-month air and sea truce agreement.
Zelenskyy said on Sunday he is “exchangeable” for Ukrainian membership of NATO, and suggested he was ready to sign a minerals deal with the US.
Speaking to reporters at Stansted Airport before he left the UK, the Ukrainian president was asked if he could stand down if his country becomes a NATO member.
“I am exchangeable for NATO,” he was reported to have said in Ukrainian, via a translator.
Zelenskyy added: “I have said that I am exchanging for NATO membership, then it means I have fulfilled my mission. NATO means I have fulfilled my mission.”
He also told reporters that Ukraine was “ready to sign it” when asked about the minerals deal with America that was put on hold
Trump has presented the minerals deal with Ukraine as essential for compensating the military aid supplied to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia.
The agreement creates a “reconstruction investment fund,” with half of the revenue from Ukraine’s state-owned natural resource projects being allocated.
While Zelenskyy has advocated for the deal to offer stronger security guarantees for Ukraine, Trump has stated that he would prioritise securing better security for Ukraine at “a later time”.
He sees the deal as crucial for the US to produce batteries, armour, defence materials and nuclear fuel rather than relying on China and Russia for the minerals.
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