Russia welcomes a U.S. decision to pause Ukraine military aid
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The Kremlin said on Tuesday that pausing U.S. military aid to Ukraine would be the best contribution to the cause of peace, but cautioned that Russia needed to clarify the details of the move by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was cautious on reports of a pause in U.S. aid and said the details needed to be seen.
"It is obvious that the United States has been the main supplier of this war so far," said Peskov. "If the United States stops … or suspends these supplies, it will probably be the best contribution to the cause of peace."
Peskov said that Russia welcomed Trump's statements about his wish for peace in the region.
"We hear his statement about his desire to bring peace to Ukraine, and this is welcome. We see certain things and receive certain information about the proposed actions in this direction. This is also welcome. But we will continue to see how the situation develops in reality," Peskov said.
Ukraine lawmaker fears 'capitulation'
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution and Russia annexed Crimea, with Russian-backed separatist forces fighting Ukraine's armed forces.
Russia currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, about 113,000 square kilometres, while Ukraine controls about 450 square kilometres of Russia, according to open source maps of the war and Russian estimates.
WATCH | Zelenskyy's history lesson drowned out by Oval Office fireworks:
What Zelenskyy wanted from Trump before the shouting started
9 hours ago
Duration 5:23
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's key message to the U.S. was all but drowned out when an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump devolved into a public shouting match. CBC's Ellen Mauro cuts through the chaos of that day to reveal what Ukraine was really after and how a history of diplomatic disappointment has left the country desperate for U.S. security guarantees.
Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine following a clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, according to the White House late Monday. Zelenskyy and a delegation were in Washington to sign the framework of a deal to create an investment fund with the U.S. as part of an effort to extract minerals in Ukraine.
Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday that Ukraine's military has the means to maintain the situation on the front line with Russian forces.
"We will continue to work with the U.S. through all available channels in a calm manner," Shmyhal told a news conference.
Oleksandr Merezhko, head of Ukraine parliament's foreign affairs committee, expressed his concerns.
"On the surface, this looks really bad," said Merezhko. "It looks like he is pushing us toward capitulation, meaning [accepting] Russia's demands. To stop aid now means to help Putin."
EU plots joint defence spending
European leaders will be under pressure to increase defence spending as a result of the U.S. decision.
The European Commission proposed on Tuesday new joint European Union borrowing to lend to EU governments for defence as part of an overall financing effort to boost Europe's defence capabilities.
"Europe is ready to assume its responsibilities. Europe could mobilize close to 800 billion euros [$227.5 billion Cdn] for a safe and resilient Europe. We will continue working closely with our partners in NATO. This is a moment for Europe. And we are ready to step up," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The joint borrowing would go toward building pan-European capability domains like air and missile defence, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition, drones and anti-drone systems, or to address other needs from cyber to military mobility, the Commission said.
Von der Leyen did not give a detailed timeframe, but said spending needed to be increased "urgently now but also over a longer period of time over this decade."
EU leaders will discuss the proposal at a special summit devoted to defence spending on Thursday.
Britain said on Tuesday it was committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine and it was engaging with its allies after Trump paused military aid to Kyiv.
"We remain absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort. It is the right thing to do, and is in our interest to do so," a British government spokesperson said in a statement.
Democrat slams decision
Trump has been critical of Ukraine well before Zelenskyy became president, claiming that officials there interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. The claims were dismissed as a conspiracy theory, and both a special counsel report and a Republican-led congressional report established that Russia interfered in that election.
In his first term as American president, Trump suggested to Zelenskyy in a phone call that the Ukrainian leader should co-operate in efforts to discredit political rival Joe Biden. U.S. aid to Ukraine was delayed, Democrats impeached Trump for what they said was a quid pro quo, and Trump was eventually acquitted in the Senate on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
WATCH | Former minister speaks with CBC's Rosie Barton on the U.S.-Ukraine rupture:
What does the Trump-Zelenskyy clash mean for Ukraine's relationship with the U.S.?
2 days ago
Duration 8:38
Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with Ukraine's former Minister of Economic Development, Tymofiy Mylovanov, about the Trump-Zelenskyy clash in the Oval Office and what it means for the relationship between the two countries moving forward.
As well, before becoming president a second time, Trump in 2023 encouraged Republicans in Congress to withhold military aid to Ukraine.
Questions over Trump's connections to Putin followed him into his first presidency and hung over him for most of his term.
In July 2018, while standing alongside Putin in Helsinki, Trump appeared to embrace the Russian leader's claims over U.S. intelligence officials with respect to election interference two years earlier.
Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, top Democrat on the Senate's foreign relations committee, criticized the White House decision.
"By freezing military aid to Ukraine, President Trump has kicked the door wide open for Putin to escalate his violent aggression against innocent Ukrainians," said Shaheen.
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