ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
The U.S. is pausing its aid to Ukraine. That's according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak on the record. This news comes just days after a disastrous Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The White House's tone on the war has also changed, sounding more in line with Russia than with Ukraine. NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman is covering the story. Hi, Tom.
TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: Hey, Ari.
SHAPIRO: So what's the White House saying about the aid?
BOWMAN: Well, a senior White House official tells NPR that President Trump is pausing and reviewing Ukrainian military aid to, quote, "ensure that it is contributing to a solution," saying that the president wants a peaceful solution. Now, of course, Ari, this all follows a contentious White House meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump and Vice President JD Vance about signing a deal that would give the U.S. the rights to critical minerals in Ukraine to basically, you know, pay back for the tens of billions in U.S. aid, even though much of that money has been spent in the U.S. on defense industries such as building artillery shells for Ukraine. Zelenskyy kept asking at that meeting whether he would get security guarantees from the U.S. and whether they can trust Russia, and that seemed to anger Trump and Vance.
SHAPIRO: Tell us more about the nature of the security assistance and what pausing it would mean for the war.
BOWMAN: Well, now, we're talking about tens of billions of dollars again from late in the Biden administration, the latest tranche of aid that includes defensive missiles and munitions. Now, Ari, those missiles are key in preventing Russian missiles from - and drones from striking targets and key even elsewhere. And this war - let's face it - has been a stalemate for some time. Russia has been bloody, but so, too, has Ukraine. Neither side can win.
But Ukraine supporters say, listen; if you put more pressure on Russia, whose economy is hurting and who - that they have lost 700,000 casualties, you get a better deal for Ukraine at the negotiating table. That's always been the case, but it appears the Trump administration wants to end all this quickly and, frankly, more on - in Russia's favor.
SHAPIRO: Well, what about the role of Europe? Can they step into the void?
BOWMAN: Well, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has talked about Europe pulling together to help Ukraine with weapons and money. He met over the weekend with Zelenskyy in a more, you know, positive setting. He talked about Great Britain, France and other countries stepping up their efforts in a coalition of the willing, as he calls it, to involve the - and hopefully involve the U.S. and their support for Ukraine. But, you know, what's uncertain tonight is will the U.S. provide any security guarantees, even if Zelenskyy signs off on that critical minerals deal with the U.S.? That was what gave Zelenskyy pause.
Now, Keir Starmer said, quote, "we are at a crossroads in history today," he said after the summit with Zelenskyy. And he said, you know, we have to give strong support to Zelenskyy and that European unity in - an extremely high level we have not seen in quite some time. So this was a surprise, I guess, you know, pulling the plug on U.S. aid to Ukraine. There was a number of months left in U.S. aid before the U.S. would have to decide whether more aid was going forward. But this is a surprise, and it's basically putting a lot more pressure on Zelenskyy.
SHAPIRO: NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman. Thank you.
BOWMAN: You're welcome.
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