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On Monday, President Donald Trump ordered a temporary suspension of US military assistance to Ukraine, aiming to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into negotiations to bring the war with Russia to a close, reports AP. This decision follows a tense Oval Office meeting last week, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticised Zelenskyy for what they saw as a lack of appreciation for the more than $180 billion in military aid the US has provided since Russia’s invasion three years ago. A White House official stated that Trump’s priority is securing a peace agreement and that he expects Zelenskyy to be fully committed to this objective. The official further explained that aid was being “paused and reviewed” to ensure it serves a constructive purpose. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official confirmed that this measure will remain in place until Trump determines Ukraine has demonstrated a firm commitment to peace talks with Russia. This suspension of military support echoes Trump’s earlier move five years ago when he withheld congressionally approved aid to Ukraine while attempting to pressure Zelenskyy into opening an investigation into then-presidential candidate Joe Biden—an episode that led to Trump’s first impeachment. How Zelensky’s outfit choice may have sparked Oval Office dispute During his 2024 campaign, Trump promised to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift resolution, at times even claiming he could accomplish this within a day. He has increasingly expressed frustration with Zelenskyy’s handling of the war while maintaining his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has long admired, can be relied upon to uphold a truce if one is reached. Earlier on Monday, Trump rebuked Zelenskyy for suggesting that the war’s end remains “very, very far away.” Zelenskyy had made the remark while trying to frame the US-Ukraine relationship in a positive light following last week’s White House meeting. “This is the worst possible statement from Zelenskyy, and America won’t tolerate it much longer!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform in response to Zelenskyy’s Sunday night comments to reporters. Later in the day, during a White House event, Trump referenced Zelenskyy’s remarks, warning that the Ukrainian leader “better not be right about that.” Zelenskyy later took to social media to clarify his stance. While he did not directly address Trump’s criticism, he emphasised the importance of pursuing meaningful diplomacy to bring the war to an end as soon as possible. “We need real peace, and no one wants it more than Ukrainians because the war is devastating our cities and towns,” Zelenskyy stated. “We are losing our people. We must stop this war and ensure security.” Last week’s discussions between Trump administration officials and Ukrainian representatives were expected to finalise an agreement allowing the US access to Ukraine’s critical mineral resources as partial repayment for the extensive military aid provided since the war began. The White House had promoted the agreement as a long-term effort to strengthen US-Ukraine relations. Ukrainians back Zelenskyy as defender after Oval incident During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News Monday evening, Vice President Vance criticised European allies for failing to push Zelenskyy toward a resolution. “Too many of our European friends encourage him,” Vance said. “They tell him he’s a freedom fighter, that he should keep fighting indefinitely. But fight indefinitely with what? With whose money, whose weapons, and whose lives?” Democrats strongly condemned Trump’s decision to halt aid, calling it reckless and dangerous. Representative Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat and co-chair of the Congressional EU Caucus, described the move as “reckless, indefensible, and a direct threat to our national security.” Since the war’s outset, the Biden administration had provided over $66.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, with approximately $3.85 billion in approved funding still available for additional weapons shipments. This remaining sum had not been affected by the broader foreign aid freeze imposed by Trump upon taking office. “This aid was passed by Congress with bipartisan support—both Republicans and Democrats understood that standing with Ukraine means standing for democracy and against Putin’s aggression,” Boyle said in a statement. “Yet Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin and undermined our allies, is now using critical military support as a political bargaining chip.” Representative Dan Goldman, a Democrat who previously served as counsel in Trump’s first impeachment inquiry, characterised the aid suspension as “another extortion” of Zelenskyy. “This is the opposite of peace through strength,” Goldman stated. “Instead, it’s yet another attempt to strong-arm Zelenskyy by unlawfully withholding aid to force him into a minerals deal.” Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said Zelenskyy’s stance during last Friday’s Oval Office talks raised doubts about whether the US could continue working with him. “The key question is: Is he personally and politically ready to guide his country toward ending the conflict?” Waltz said Monday on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom. “And is he willing to make the necessary compromises?” Concerns over the future of US-Ukraine relations have been compounded by remarks from prominent Trump allies, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senator Lindsey Graham, suggesting that the relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy is increasingly untenable. Angela Stent, a former national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia, noted that Putin is unlikely to rush into peace talks while divisions between Trump and Zelenskyy, as well as between the US and Europe, persist. “Putin believes Russia is winning,” said Stent, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “And he thinks that over time, divisions in the West will only deepen.” Despite the aid suspension, Trump indicated on Monday that he still sees potential in the economic agreement with Ukraine, describing it as “a great deal.” He added that he intends to discuss the matter further during his Tuesday address to Congress. Meanwhile, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania and co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said he spoke with Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, on Monday about resuming talks on the minerals deal. Key Republican senators had also expressed optimism about restoring US-Ukraine relations before the aid suspension was announced. “We need to bring down the tension,” said Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, “and work toward an agreement that benefits both the US economy and the Ukrainian people.” Senator Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican and Trump ally, said he believes both Trump and Zelenskyy can “move forward.” “Finalising the minerals deal is the first step,” Mullin said. “After that, Zelenskyy has to be realistic about what a peace agreement looks like.”

Protesters in the US gathered along a road in Vermont that Vice-President JD Vance was expected to drive down after his heated exchange with President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Holding pro-Ukraine signs, they positioned themselves on the route in Waitsfield, which Vance and his family were set to take on their way to a skiing trip, reports BBC. How Zelensky’s outfit choice may have sparked Oval Office dispute Reports from US media indicated that the Vance family relocated to an undisclosed location from their original ski resort due to the demonstrations. Hundreds of people also assembled in New York, Los Angeles, and Boston on Saturday to show their support for Ukraine, following the tense confrontation in the Oval Office the day before. The intense scenes in the Oval Office saw Vance accuse President Zelensky of disrespecting the US, while Trump clashed with the Ukrainian leader, urging him to negotiate with Russia "or we are out" and accusing him of "gambling with World War Three." A protest had been organised earlier in the week in Waitsfield against the Trump-Vance administration, before the clash with Zelensky, but many of the signs reflected the row and Russia’s war with Ukraine, the report said. Judy Daly from Indivisible Mad River Valley, the group behind the protest, commented to Vermont Public Radio, "I think [Friday's] performance at the White House has probably galvanised even more people to come out today." Protester Cori Giroux added, "[Vance] crossed the line." Ahead of the Vance family's arrival, Vermont Governor Phil Scott urged people to "be respectful." Scott, a Republican who didn’t support Trump, stated, "I welcome the vice-president and his family to Vermont and hope they enjoy their weekend here. It’s no surprise they chose Vermont, we’ve had a lot of snow this winter, which has been good for our economy." He continued, "I hope Vermonters remember the vice-president is here on a family trip with his young children, and while we may not always agree, we should be respectful. Please join me in welcoming them to Vermont and hoping they have an opportunity to experience what makes our state, and Vermonters, so special." Vance, who has three young children with his wife Usha, has not commented publicly on the protests. Counter-protesters supporting Trump and Vance were also reportedly present in Waitsfield, added the report. In a separate development, demonstrators gathered outside Tesla stores across the US on Saturday to protest Elon Musk's efforts to cut government spending. Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, has been appointed by Trump to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as Doge. After the White House meeting, Zelensky travelled to the UK, where he was welcomed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. On Sunday, he joined European leaders and Canada's Justin Trudeau in London for a summit to discuss strategies for ending the war in Ukraine and ensuring Europe’s security. Ukrainians back Zelenskyy as defender after Oval incident Ahead of the summit, Starmer stated that the UK and France would work with Ukraine on a plan to end the conflict with Russia, which would then be discussed with the United States. He explained to the BBC that his main goal at this time was to act as a "bridge" between the two leaders, the report also said. When asked about his reaction to the dispute in the White House, Starmer downplayed the incident, acknowledging, "nobody wants to see that," and admitting he felt "uncomfortable."

Ukraine and the U.S. have reached an agreement on a framework for a broad economic deal that would include access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals, three senior Ukrainian officials said Tuesday. The officials, who were familiar with the matter, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. One of them said that Kyiv hopes that signing the agreement will ensure the continued flow of U.S. military support that Ukraine urgently needs. The agreement could be signed as early as Friday and plans are being drawn up for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to travel to Washington to meet Trump, according to one of the Ukrainian officials. Another official said the agreement would provide an opportunity for Zelenskyy and Trump to discuss continued military aid to Ukraine, which is why Kyiv is eager to finalize the deal. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, said he’d heard that Zelenskyy was coming and added that “it’s okay with me, if he’d like to, and he would like to sign it together with me.” Trump called it a big deal that could be worth a trillion dollars. "It could be whatever, but it’s rare earths and other things.” According to one Ukrainian official, some technical details are still to be determined. However, the draft does not include a contentious Trump administration proposal to give the U.S. $500 billion worth of profits from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as compensation for its wartime assistance to Kyiv. UN rejects US resolution that urges an end to the Ukraine war without noting Russian aggression Instead, the U.S. and Ukraine would have joint ownership of a fund, and Ukraine would in the future contribute 50% of future proceeds from state-owned resources, including minerals, oil, and gas. One official said the deal had better terms of investments and another one said that Kyiv secured favorable amendments and viewed the outcome as “positive.” The deal does not, however, include security guarantees. One official said that this would be something the two presidents would discuss when they meet. The progress in negotiating the deal comes after Trump and Zelenskyy traded sharp rhetoric last week about their differences over the matter. Zelenskyy said he balked at signing off on a deal that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushed during a visit to Kyiv earlier this month, and the Ukrainian leader objected again days later during a meeting in Munich with Vice President JD Vance because the American proposal did not include security guarantees. Trump then called Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” and claimed his support among voters was near rock-bottom. But the two sides made significant progress during a three-day visit to Ukraine last week by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia. The idea was initially proposed last fall by Zelenskyy as part of his plan to strengthen Kyiv’s hand in future negotiations with Moscow.