US stops military aid to Ukraine, sparking shock, fear of Russian gains

Ukrainians expressed shock and anger on Tuesday after the United States paused military support to Ukraine, with one politician warning of “dangerous consequences” as Russia’s invasion continues. 

The abrupt halt has raised fears of weakened defences and prolonged suffering in Ukraine.

“We’ll see serious consequences, dangerous consequences, very soon,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of Ukraine’s Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, in a BBC interview. 

Merezhko warned the pause could hurt military efforts “in the coming days” and accused the US of “siding with Russia” by stopping aid.

The White House said the review aims to ensure aid “contributes to a solution” and said that President Donald Trump’s focus is on a peaceful end to the conflict. 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked Washington for past support but stressed Kyiv remains open to cooperation. 

Meanwhile, some Ukrainian politicians called the move “disastrous,” with MP Volodymyr Aryev describing it as a “very painful blow.”

The military pause freezes a key partner’s assistance for Ukraine, which relies on US weapons and intelligence.

A Ukrainian soldier near the front lines, who spoke anonymously, told the BBC her forces might hold out for “maybe six months” without aid but warned the cost would be “measured in lives.” 

Western military supplies to the Polish-Ukrainian border have stopped.  

European allies criticized the decision, with France’s Europe minister Benjamin Haddad calling it a boost for Russia. 

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that US arms shipments through a key border hub had stopped, adding that a “sovereign, pro-Western Ukraine” makes Europe safer.  

Vice-President JD Vance defended Trump’s approach to Russia as “diplomacy,” denying accusations of favouring Moscow. 

However, Ukrainian activists blasted the pause as abandoning Kyiv to Russian aggression.  

The move revives concerns from 2023, when political fights in Congress delayed aid — a period President Volodymyr Zelensky said cost Ukraine lives and territory. 

Questions remain about whether ammunition and intelligence sharing will continue.  

As tensions rise, Merezhko asked Trump to “not play with these dangerous issues. We’re talking about lives.”