General
Tuesday Briefing
A pause on U.S. aid to Ukraine.
President Trump had an explosive confrontation with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in the Oval Office on Monday.Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times
A pause on U.S. military aid to Ukraine
President Trump suspended the delivery of military aid to Ukraine yesterday, according to senior U.S. officials, who said the pause would stay in effect until Trump determined that Ukraine had demonstrated a good-faith commitment to peace talks with Russia.
The order was to take effect immediately, affecting more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition in the pipeline and on order.
Earlier in the day, President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to Ukraine after a whirlwind diplomatic mission that included both humiliation, by Trump in a confrontational Oval Office meeting, and a warm embrace, from European leaders. Zelensky vowed to use all diplomatic avenues to pursue an end to the war, but he said there was “a long way to go.”
Russia has given no indication that it will accept any terms but Ukrainian capitulation and permanent conquest of a large swath of Ukraine — and Trump appears set on standing with Moscow. Ukrainians say they will not lay down their arms unless they receive security guarantees, supported by the U.S., that would prevent another Russian attack.
Support: Britain and France have promised that a “coalition of the willing” will secure a truce. But how many countries will step up, and does that even matter, given Russia’s rejection of such a coalition as part of any settlement? (Read about what the cost of defending Ukraine may mean for investors in Europe.)
Warfare: Drones now do most of the killing in the war, causing about 70 percent of deaths and injuries, commanders say.
