Kyiv/Washington: As Russian forces intensify aerial bombardments across Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the United States will be cutting military support to Kyiv in the upcoming federal budget.
Although the United States had remained Ukraine’s principal military backer since the Russian invasion in 2022, the Trump administration has sharply pivoted in its policy. President Donald Trump has halted any new assistance packages for Ukraine, distancing Washington from Kyiv and aligning more closely with Russian President Vladimir Putin — a stance evident in both rhetoric and policy moves.
At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Hegseth clarified the administration’s stance, noting that the reduction in military aid stems from a strategic shift.
“This administration takes a very different view of that conflict. We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation’s interests, especially with all the competing interests around the globe,” said Hegseth.
While Hegseth stopped short of detailing the scale or nature of the budget cuts, the broader direction has already become evident. The Trump administration has not approved any new military support for Ukraine since taking office. It recently came to light that around 20,000 U.S.-made anti-drone missiles originally earmarked for Ukraine were redirected to American forces deployed in West Asia.
These developments come at a critical juncture for Ukraine, which is enduring relentless attacks from Russia. In the latest and most extensive airstrike of the war, Russia on Sunday launched 479 drones and 20 missiles into Ukrainian territory, leaving dozens dead and widespread destruction in its wake.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged the U.S. and other Western allies for additional air defense systems, expressing a willingness to purchase them if necessary. However, Trump has dismissed the requests and accused Zelenskyy of perpetuating the war.
In a typical critique, Trump said Zelenskyy is “always looking to purchase missiles”, and blamed both him and former President Joe Biden for the war’s outbreak.
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“President Zelenskyy and Crooked Joe Biden did an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to begin. There were so many ways of preventing it from ever starting,” Trump stated in April.
As the situation on the ground grows increasingly dire for Ukraine, the shift in U.S. policy under the Trump administration marks a stark departure from prior bipartisan support — raising questions about the future of American involvement in one of the most devastating European conflicts in decades.
