Donald Trump’s decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine will have an effect within days, a Ukrainian MP has warned.
Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, told The Independent: “My main concern is the lack of missiles for air defences to protect Ukrainian cities,” he said. “The Russians will use this opportunity to intensify attacks. This is why Trump’s decision is so dangerous.”
He said that impact will be felt across the country “in the coming days”.
“It will embolden Putin,” Mr Merezhko added. “Putin will exploit this opportunity. He might also try to intensify offensives on the frontline.”
It comes as the European Commission proposed to borrow up to 150 billion euros to lend to EU governments under a rearmament plan driven by fears that Europe can no longer be sure of US protection. President Trump has repeatedly criticised EU nations for failing to spend enough on their own defence.
A Trump administration official said the US president was focused on reaching a peace deal to end the war, and wanted Mr Zelensky “committed” to that goal. The US was “pausing and reviewing” its aid, the official added, to “ensure that it is contributing to a solution”.
What has Donald Trump decided over US weapons to Ukraine?
The presidential order to suspend all current American military aid to Ukraine takes effect immediately and includes all US military equipment not currently in Ukraine, including weapons in transit and at depots in Poland.
The pause will affect more than $1bn (£790m) in arms and ammunition, including missiles, vehicles and key shells used to keep Vladimir Putin’s forces at bay.
After the explosive clash with Ukraine’s President Zelensky in the Oval Office last week, Donald Trump has said that he thinks Ukraine’s leader should be more appreciative of the assistance he has already received from the US – and made clear that he does not believe Zelensky is ready to discuss a peace deal with Russia.
The last time there was a delay in US aid to Ukraine, as Trump-supporting politicians in Congress held up the sign-off of an extension worth tens of billions of dollars, Ukrainian units on the frontline had to work to conserve ammunition in particular – leaving them vulnerable to increased attacks.
Explained | What are Europe’s options for paying to bolster its defence readiness
European Union leaders will discuss on Thursday how to finance a sharp increase in defence readiness to deter any possible future attack from Russia and become less dependent for security on the United States.
The European Commission on Tuesday proposed several ways to raise the funds that would add up to around 800 billion euros over several years.
But how can they do this?
The Commission proposed that defence spending be exempt from EU laws that put annual spending limits on governments to protect EU public finances and the value of the euro currency.
Not all EU governments support the idea, as they say special treatment for defence spending already exists in the rules. What is missing, they say, is a broader definition of defence investment, an issue they would prefer to focus on.
The Commission estimated that if EU governments were to increase their defence spending by 1.5% of GDP on average, it would create fiscal space of close to 650 billion euros over four years. The downside is that such borrowing would widen budget deficits and could worry bond investors, economists said.
Money from the EU’s 2021-2027 budget
The current seven-year EU budget of 1.2 trillion euros, created well before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has no proper funds for defence.
But around one-third of it is earmarked to equalise the standard of living between regions in the 27-nation EU – the so-called cohesion funds – and some of that cash can be used for projects that would be somehow linked to defence, like shelters for civilians or strengthening roads and bridges to allow the passage of tanks.
“We will propose additional possibilities and incentives for Member States that they will decide, if they want to use cohesion policy programmes, to increase defence spending,” the Commission said.
Myanmar prime minister shows Putin support against Ukraine in Moscow meeting
Myanmar’s prime minister Min Aung Hlaing shook Vladimir Putin’s hand as he visited Moscow and affirmed his country’s full support for Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
He shared his belief that Russia would soon be victorious over Ukraine.
Bryony Gooch4 March 2025 14:25
‘This is about saving lives’
Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, told The Independent that Donald Trump’s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine was “dangerous” but praised the UK for its staunch support for Ukraine:
“The UK has proven a reliable friend and partner when Ukraine needed you most.. and you can be helpful for re-stablishing relationships with the US”.
“Looking at the silver lining in this huge cloud, we can count on support from European allies, particularly the UK and France,” Mr Merezhko added.
The Ukrainian MP also had a message for Mr Trump, urging him to restart aid deliveries: “It is not about money, it is about human lives. This kind of weaponry you give to Ukraine is to save lives.”
Chris Stevenson4 March 2025 14:19
Trump has fully embraced Russia’s war fantasy, but there’s a hidden trap for Putin
The American president and his VP, JD Vance, are doing all the hard work for Russia – even scuppering their own minerals deal in the process.
As Europe and Nato face a shift in global alliances, the real test for the “coalition of the unwilling” will be when the time to act comes, says Keir Giles.
Bryony Gooch4 March 2025 14:13
Ukraine MP says Putin will exploit Trump’s aid suspension to intensify attacks
Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the Ukrainian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, told The Independent that the impact from Donald Trump’s decision could have an effect on the battlefield “within days”.
“I don’t know for how long supplies will last… my main concern is the lack of missiles for air defences to protect Ukrainian cities,” he said. “The Russians will use this opportunity to intensify attacks. This is why Trump’s decision is so dangerous.”
“It will embolden Putin,” Mr Merezhko added. “Putin will exploit this opportunity. He might also try to intensify offensives on the frontline. That is why it is so dangerous. The chances are it will happen.”
“When you cut [military aid] off, you help only Putin.” Mr Merezhko said.
Chris Stevenson4 March 2025 14:12
