The Ukrainians expressed shock and disappointment at the United States, which has suspended military aid to the country – what one politician called a “dangerous” situation.
“We see serious consequences right away – we see dangerous consequences,” Oleksandr Meretzko, chair of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday.
Merezhko said the suspension could soon affect the ground “in the coming days.”
Ukraine woke up on Tuesday to news that the US was “suspending and reviewing” military aid. White House officials told the BBC’s US news partner CBS the reason for doing so is to “confirm that they are contributing to the solution.”
“The President makes it clear that he is focused on peace, and our partners need to commit to that goal too,” added a White House official.
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Voldimia Zelensky have not yet commented, but Ukrainian Prime Minister Dennis Schmichal has repeatedly “thanks” Kiev for his support so far, with the country still willing to cooperate with the United States.
However, some Ukrainian lawmakers came out to call the decision “disastrous.”
“When we desperately need American weapons, American support… (it looks like a siding with Russia,” Meletzko said.
“We’re talking about life, so we’re urging Trump not to play around with these dangerous issues.”
Merezhko said the decision on Friday brings a “new light” to the oval office spat between Zelensky and the US president and vice-president.
“It was a show, you know, it was intentional,” he added.
Vice President JD Vance said he saw “a big problem” with accusations that Trump was on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s side when asked in an interview with Fox News Channel on Monday.
Vance said people must accept that Trump “is not just assuming that everything the Russians say to him is true.”
“He’s negotiating with them. There’s give and take. There’s trust, but (we’ll examine. It’s called diplomacy. In Washington, we respected that.”
For Kyiv, a pause is equivalent to a block of major lifelines. When this last happened – due to political disagreements in the US Congress – Zelensky said Ukraine had lost its direct life and landing.
Approaching Ukraine’s western border with Poland, there are frequently police-led convoys of military aid, bringing armor and ammunition for the exhausted army, craving the path to the frontline.
Questions remain unanswered as to whether Ukraine will still receive ammunition for American weapons that are still being delivered, or whether Washington will continue to share information with Kyiv.
One Ukrainian advocacy group said Trump “has dried up Ukrainians and gave Russia a green light to continue marching the West.”
Ukrainian MP Volodymyr Aryev called the pause “a very painful blow.” MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said it was a “catastrophe” where they saw them coming, but insisted that “not everything is lost.”
“Roosevelt and Churchill are heading to their graves. America is experiencing global evil,” said Ukrainian blogger and activist Yuri Kashanov.
Another blogger, Leonid Schbett, said, “Thanks to America! You’re mad.”
Reactions from Ukraine’s European allies have also begun to come in.
While British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer has not responded directly to the suspension yet, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told BBC Radio 4’s today’s programme “It’s a US issue… We’re focusing on supporting Ukraine and bringing the US around the table.”
She said Ir Kiel would not “conduct an open radio dialogue,” adding that the UK government has recently strengthened its support for Ukraine and is working towards peace as the US believes.
French European Minister Benjamin Haddad had made further progress on the issue.
Speaking on French television, he said the pause made peace a more distant idea.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tass wrote to X that “sovereign, pro-western Ukraine” has made his country stronger and safer,” adding that “those who question this obvious truth are contributing to Putin’s victory.”
Additional reports by Vitaliy Shevchenko and Paul Kirby
