Trump halts military aid to Ukraine

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What is the main news about US-Ukraine relations?

Bernadette Keogh 1:09
Also in this podcast, a report claims half of adults worldwide are predicted to be obese or overweight by 2050. And can mice give first aid?
Researcher in California 1:20
Researchers in California say yes.
Bernadette Keogh 1:35
You don't have the cards. That's what Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during that diplomatic blowout at the White House on Friday. Now, Ukraine finds itself under huge pressure. The United States has suspended all military aid and says it will continue to do so until the Ukrainian leader demonstrates a commitment to negotiating peace with Russia. The suspension includes all American weapons and equipment that were in transit. Ukrainian officials are in shock. Oleksandr Merezhko is a member of parliament from President Zelensky's party.

What are the implications of the US halting military aid to Ukraine?

Oleksandr Merezhko 2:10
You know, when you take away a weaponry from a person from a country which is fighting for its survival, you are helping the enemy. Casualties and human lives lost because of this. I think Mr Trump should seriously think about how he's going to enter in history. To me, it's a date will go down in infamy.
Bernadette Keogh 2:33
Since the invasion in 2022, almost half of military aid going into Ukraine has come from the United States. Our correspondent in Kiev, James Waterhouse, told me that the US announcement is already being felt on the front line.
James Menendez 2:47
It's a devastating blow to Ukraine's ability to defend itself. America is its single biggest military donor. It provides the scale and speed of military support that Ukraine needs to sustain its fight. We're talking about sophisticated missile launcher systems, armoured vehicles, ammunition. When you're near the Western border, it's not uncommon to see military convoys under police escort coming in. It's like an artery. It's much needed armor and ammunition for exhausted troops on the front line. And other Western allies to this point have been unable to plug the gap when American aid has slowed in the past, when it's happened in the past through political disagreements in the U.S. Congress. President Zelensky says Ukraine has lost land and lives as a direct result. And I remember the eastern once fortress town of Avdiivka falling early last year because you had troops there that were dug in, but they just ran out of kit. And this as a political lever puts enormous pressure on President Zelensky to play ball with Washington.
James Menendez 3:53
And it challenges that existential belief that if Ukraine stops fighting, then it'll succumb to Russia forever. because without American help, things could probably go south very quickly.
Bernadette Keogh 4:04
Is there a real risk, then, that Russian forces could make big gains further into Ukraine?
James Menendez 4:11
Very much so. There are a string of towns and cities in the eastern Donetsk region which come under increasing artillery fire that are sitting very uncomfortably as Russian forces target major supply lines. Now, Ukraine had been launching counter-offensives in some areas, pushing back... But the Russian forces are advancing slowly, albeit in several other areas. And how that is perceived, if you look at America warming its relationship with Russia, exploring the relaxation of sanctions whilst putting Ukraine first. under this kind of pressure, in the eyes of some amounts to a switching of sides.

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