U.S. continues to send military aid to Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Ukraine relies on the U.S. for 40% of its military needs, amounting to $65.9 billion since the Russian invasion in February of 2022.
Among the litany of executive orders signed by the U.S. President Donald Trump included the halting of new foreign aid for 90 days. Unless it serves the strategic goals of America, it’s getting cut.
That supposedly excludes military aid to Ukraine, reported CBS News.
“I am focused on military aid; it has not been stopped, thank God,” Zelenskyy told reporters last week.
Among the litany of executive orders signed by U.S. President Donald Trump includes the halting of new foreign aid. Unless it serves the strategic goals of America, it’s getting cut.https://t.co/5k55PyLbJq
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 21, 2025
The second Trump administration has taken explicit aim at radical groups and organizations that access taxpayer handouts to promote a “diversity, equity, inclusion” agenda.
It aligns with Trump’s “America First” strategy, cutting upwards of $76 billion in annual aid — a hallmark policy from his first term in office.
“The United States and American citizens have been some of the most generous people in the entire world,” a Trump policy adviser told the Daily Mail.
“But at this point, we have to understand that foreign policy is domestic policy,” they said, “and if this is not aligned with our interests, then Uncle Sam should not be opening up his pocketbook any longer.”
All new foreign aid requests will be subject to a review and approval process by Marco Rubio, the newly sworn-in U.S. Secretary of State.
President Trump calls on Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 23, 2025
He says that if the price of oil came down, "the Russia-Ukraine would end immediately." pic.twitter.com/hSXmkxN1tN
President Zelenskyy said Saturday the U.S. has not stopped military aid to Ukraine despite the pause, though humanitarian aid remains less certain under the order.
The war-torn country relies on the U.S. for 40% of its military needs, amounting to $65.9 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, according to the U.S. Department of State.
As President Trump begins his second term in office, he was quick to remind the media that Ukraine’s President should have negotiated a deal with Putin to avoid the conflict.
Nevertheless, Zelenskyy believes the U.S. leader will succeed in ending the war following “good meetings and conversations” with him last week.
President Trump speaks on the Russia-Ukraine war, saying it never would have started if he was president but "bad things happened" and "bad things were said" during Biden's administration.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 23, 2025
"Far more people have died than is being reported," he says. pic.twitter.com/0ThWmiIgtv
U.S. President Trump also threatened to impose stiff tariffs and sanctions on Russia if an agreement was not reached to end the war.
He would not speculate whether said tariffs would force Putin to negotiate. “I don’t know,” Trump said. “I think he should make a deal.”
The Russian leader is reportedly worried about the state of his country’s economy amid crippling sanctions and the costs of funding a war that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties.
When Trump described the war in Ukraine, he referred to the carnage as unlike any battlefield “since World War II.”
“Soldiers are being killed on a daily basis at numbers that we haven’t seen in decades,” Trump said. “It would be nice to end that war. It’s a ridiculous war.”
Freeland comments on how Trump's win will affect Ukraine, saying many Canadians are feeling "uncertain" and "anxious" but reassures "we are here for Ukraine today and tomorrow," before delivering a message to the people of Ukraine in Ukrainian. pic.twitter.com/dZDQAGO8WD
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 6, 2024
Throughout his campaign, Trump declared that during his second term he would end world conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war.
A February 21 report pondered taxpayer aid and whether it could end the conflict. Neighbouring Canada has allocated $4.5 million in military aid to Ukraine, and $20 million total to no avail.
Many admit to a “declining personal interest in seeking out information” related to the Russia-Ukraine war. Some only expressed mild concerns regarding the conflict’s impact on the economy and global fuel prices.
“This can only be done with Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said, “otherwise it simply will not work because Russia does not want to end the war, and Ukraine does.”
Putin expressed a willingness to negotiate a peace with Trump last month. “In my opinion, soon there will be no one left who wants to fight. We are ready, but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises.”
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
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COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2025-01-27 18:11:42 -0500“Blessid are the peacemakers for they will obtain peace,” Christ said and it still holds true now. Putin fears containment by NATO so naturally he’ll attack nations between Russia and NATO countries. If Ukraine had just negotiated a settlement, things might have been better. This war is grinding down Ukrainians much more than Russians. Like Canada fighting America, Ukraine is small compared to Russia. Not joining NATO would assuage Putin’s paranoia and millions would never have died.
