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Ukraine seeks clarity as US halts key weapons shipments, raising fears of Russian gains
US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 28. File image/AFP
Ukraine on Wednesday sought clarification from the United States following a surprise announcement by the White House that Washington is pausing certain arms deliveries to the country.
According to AFP, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, heavily reliant on US military assistance, said it had not received prior notification about the aid reduction, which was made public a day earlier.
The announcement drew a sharp response from Moscow, with Russian officials saying the decision could bring the war closer to an end.
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A slowdown in US support threatens to undermine Ukraine's capacity to counter intensifying Russian airstrikes and advances along the front lines.
Fears over the continuity of US aid have mounted in Kyiv since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. The former president has long criticised the scale of military and financial support provided to Ukraine under his predecessor, Joe Biden.
In a televised evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv and Washington were working to clarify the specifics of the latest change in military assistance.
'Continued American support for Ukraine, for our defence, for our people is in our common interest,' AFP quoted him as saying.
John Ginkel, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Kyiv, was summoned by the foreign ministry - a rare diplomatic move usually reserved for foes and rivals, not vital allies - given uncertainty about what the cuts would mean for Kyiv.
'Now is not the time for weak decisions,' Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on X. 'We need more interceptors and systems. We are also ready to purchase or rent them,' he added.
On Tuesday, the White House announced it is pausing certain key weapons shipments that had been pledged by the previous US administration, though it offered no further details.
Under President Joe Biden, the United States led Western efforts to support Ukraine, with Congress approving over $100 billion in aid — including $43 billion in military assistance.
In contrast, President Trump has pushed for renewed peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow, including in recent phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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However, Putin reportedly dismissed calls for a ceasefire and reiterated demands that Ukraine surrender additional territory as a condition for ending the war, which began with Russia's invasion in 2022.
'Consistent pressure'
The US president has refused to announce new aid packages and Kyiv has been corralling Washington's European allies to step up their support.
Kyiv remains 'seriously dependent' on US arms supplies, a high-ranking source in the Ukrainian military told I.
'Europe is doing its best, but it will be difficult for us without American ammunition,' the source added.
A May report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that Europe 'had only made limited progress' in strengthening its defence industries.
But it said that 'continued US aid remains extremely important for Ukraine's long-term effectiveness on the battlefield.'
In Moscow, the Kremlin said that reducing weapons deliveries to Kyiv would help end the conflict.
'The fewer the number of weapons that are delivered to Ukraine, the closer the end of the special military operation,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question by AFP, using Russia's term for its more than three-year-long offensive.
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The White House told AFP in an email that the decision to reduce shipments was taken following a 'review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries'.
Kyiv said that it was caught off-guard by the move. The defence ministry said that the country had 'not received any official notifications' on the issue.
Escalating drone attacks
Politico and other US media reported that missiles for Patriot air defence systems, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles are among the items being held back.
Russia ramped up attacks on Ukraine in June, launching nearly twice as many missiles and over 30 percent more drones than in May, according to an AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data.
Kyiv was in June subjected to at least four fatal attacks that left more than 40 people dead. Its residents are worried that a cessation of US aid would leave the capital even more vulnerable.
'We had gotten used to seeing America as a country of values, a country that defends democracy,' Igor Stambol, a Kyiv resident, told AFP.
'But there is hope that they will remember their values,' the 36-year-old added.
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With inputs from agencies
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