In the face of heightened Russian attacks against Ukraine, the U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a decrease in military aid to the embattled nation. The action represents a dramatic change in Washington’s policy since the Trump administration has a varying view of the conflict compared to its predecessor.
In a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Hegseth validated that the next federal budget will include reductions in Ukraine-related military assistance. “This administration has a very different perspective about that conflict. We think a negotiated peaceful resolution is best for both sides and our national interest, particularly with all the competing interests in the world,” he added. He did not give specific numbers on the suggested cuts.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the United States had been Ukraine’s largest supporter under President Joe Biden, sending military assistance and equipment. Even though aid packages approved during the Biden administration and vetted by Congress keep being sent, the Trump administration has not announced any additional support initiatives yet.
Actually, it was reported just recently that former President Donald Trump diverted some 20,000 anti-drone missiles originally meant for Ukraine to U.S. troops deployed in West Asia. This disclosure was made while Russia significantly escalated aerial bombardments all over Ukraine.
On Sunday, Russia conducted what is likely the largest air attack of the war, launching 479 drones and 20 missiles against Ukrainian sites. This type of attack has killed dozens and heavily damaged Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilian zones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed to the U.S. and its Western partners to supply air defense systems, even offering to buy them. Yet, Trump has condemned these appeals and rejected their need. He labeled Zelenskyy a ‘warmonger’ and doubted Ukraine’s motives.
President Zelenskyy and Crooked Joe Biden did a totally terrible job in letting this travesty get started. There were so many different ways of never letting it get started,” Trump explained in April, again blaming Biden, Zelenskyy, and NATO for instigating the war. He has accused Zelenskyy many times of always wanting to buy missiles, quoting Russian party lines and distancing his administration from Ukraine’s defense requirements.
This policy change and tone from Washington are happening at a key moment for Kyiv, as it struggles against relentless Russian belligerence and waning international backing.
