Mugdha Das

US President Donald Trump halts Ukraine's military aid

Digital Desk: US President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on Kyiv to accept peace talks with Russia by suspending military aid to Ukraine on Monday, according to a White House official.

The action follows days after Trump, who wants the war to end quickly, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in a startling public altercation.

When pressed by reporters earlier on Monday, Trump refused to rule out a pause, but any interruption in the supply of US weapons to the front line would quickly reduce Ukraine's chances of resisting Russia's invasion.

The president of Ukraine should be "more appreciative" of US assistance, Trump added, adding that he would "not put up" much longer with Zelensky's resistance.

According to The New York Times, the halt has taken effect immediately and affects hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of weapons that are being shipped to Ukraine.

On Monday, Zelensky expressed his desire for the war to stop "as soon as possible."

Zelensky's remark followed his accusation that Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2014 and significantly escalated the conflict in 2022, was not sincere about pursuing peace.

He maintained that the only way to terminate the war was to provide strong security guarantees.