Donald Trump pauses Ukraine aid: How long will the pause by the US last and what has the UK said?

Overnight the White House announced it was pausing all its military aid, amounting to $1 billion [£790 million] worth of arms and ammunition.

This comes after the chaotic and angry scenes between US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday evening, where President Zelensky was accused of “gambling with World War Three”.

What has the UK government said about the decision?

A spokesperson for the UK government said: “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.

“We have bolstered Ukrainian military capabilities through our commitment to provide Ukraine with £3bn a year in military aid for as long as it takes and through a £2.26bn loan using sanctioned Russian assets.

“In addition, we’ve set up a partnership with Ukraine that allows them to use £1.6bn of UK Export Finance to buy 5,000 air defence missiles manufactured in Belfast, putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position for peace.”

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How much military aid has the US given to Ukraine?

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine three years ago, the US has provided almost half of all military aid in Ukraine and is by far the biggest source of military aid in the country.

However, President Trump has not approved any new assistance to Ukraine since becoming president in January.

When will the pause start?

This pause will take effect immediately, affecting more than $1bn [£790m] worth of arms and ammunition, including rockets, anti-tank weapons and armoured vehicles. It will also impact weapons that are in transit to Ukraine and weapons that are being held in Poland.

How long will the pause last?

While the US has said it is pausing military aid to Ukraine, it has not yet said how long for or given a timeframe for the decision to be reviewed. A White House official said: "We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”

Why has the US paused military aid?

Earlier on Tuesday morning US Vice-President JD Vance said: “Here’s the problem with the Europeans - they need to be realistic, and the craziest part about this is sometimes you have European heads of state who in public will puff up their chest and say ‘we’re in this with President Zelensky for the next ten years’. And in private they’ll pick up the phone and say ‘this can’t go on forever, he has to come to the negotiating table’.

“I honestly don’t care what the Europeans say in public. What I care is what they say in private and what they need to be saying to President Zelensky is ‘this can’t go on forever, the bloodshed, the killing, the economic devastation, it’s making everyone worse off’.”

What has Donald Trump and Volodomyr Zelensky said about the decision?

The media has not yet heard from President Trump, President Zelensky or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

What is happening in the war in Ukraine?

Overnight 99 drones were launched into Ukraine by Russia and it is understood Odesa, Sumy and Donetsk “suffered as a result of the attack”.

The State Emergency Service says there are multiple injuries and several fires broke out in Odesa and power is currently out to civilians.

A children’s medical facility was also struck in Sumy.

Will we hear from the Prime Minister?

We have not yet heard from Sir Keir Starmer, but his deputy Angela Rayner has told the BBC the Prime Minister has been “really clear” that “we have to have peace”.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said this peace has to be brought about with allies in both Europe and the US and needs security guarantees.

She said: “It’s a very serious moment and I think the Prime Minister has been very serious about the way he has conducted himself.

“He’s laser-focused on getting peace.

“He won’t be derailed by announcements - he will continue that dialogue with our oldest and strongest ally, the US, and with European partners and with Ukraine.”

When asked if she was shocked by the White House’s announcement, Ms Raynersaid: “Thst is a matter for the US.

“We are focused on support for Ukraine, bringing the US around the table alongside our European partners in Ukraine.

“We’ve put our money where our mouth is and stepped up our support for Ukraine through air defence, through military capabilities and through the military aid we give year upon year.

“The Prime Minister will not conduct dialogue on open airwaves.”