Ukraine Shocked as U.S. Halts Military Aid Following Trump Debate

Washington (The Uttam Hindu): US President Donald Trump has halted military aid to Ukraine until Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commits to ending the war with Russia. Citing officials, Fox News reported that the order is coming soon. President Trump will talk about the Ukraine issue while addressing a joint session of the US Congress on Tuesday evening. This comes hours after a 25 per cent tariff hike on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 20 per cent tariff hike on imports from China came into effect.

"I think you should appreciate more, because this country has stood by us through thick and thin," Trump said at the White House when asked what it would take to restart talks with Ukraine to secure rights to its mineral resources. Asked in London about President Zelensky's comments that he feared the war with Russia was going to be a long one, President Trump said he hoped the Ukrainian leader was not right.

Trump further said that Russia wants to end the war and the people of Ukraine want the same, and he wanted to put distance between Zelensky and his country, a line that has become prominent among his Republican supporters. Trump had called Zelensky a dictator a few weeks ago and suggested that he was not holding the election because he was afraid of losing.

After the explosion in the Oval Office on Friday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine's fight against the 2022 Russian invasion but is also known as an unflappable ally and friend at home and abroad, called on Zelensky to step down. Zelensky has since said that he only answers to Ukrainian voters. He offered Graham Ukrainian citizenship so that he could actually vote to oust him. Let us tell you that in exchange for the help given by America to Ukraine, Trump had demanded a mineral deal. Because Ukraine has reserves of lithium and rare minerals which are important for America.