Ukraine Funds Paused, Trump Addresses Congress, Tariffs Begin
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Why did the White House pause military aid to Ukraine?
President Trump paused military aid to Ukraine after a disastrous meeting in the Oval Office last week.
What is the White House trying to pressure Ukraine to do by holding back weapons?
I'm Laila Fadil, that's Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News. Trump addresses Congress tonight after a dizzying first six weeks in the White House with questions around the legality of mass layoffs of federal workers, a major shift in U.S. foreign policy and his push to consolidate executive power. What will Trump's message to Americans be?
And Trump's new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China are rattling markets and sparking retaliation.
What are the implications of Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China?
They want to come at us hard. We're going to come back twice as hard.
Canada and China are already hitting back with tariffs of their own, raising fears of an all-out trade war. Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
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The White House says it will pause military aid to Ukraine as the country continues to defend itself from Russian attacks.
How is Ukraine reacting to the U.S. aid pause?
A White House official told NPR the administration wants to review the aid to see if it is contributing to peace. The decision comes after President Trump and Vice President Vance berated Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in an Oval Office meeting last Friday.
Joining us now to talk about all this is NPR's Ukraine correspondent, Joanna Kakissis. Joanna, good morning.
Good morning, Michelle.
Joanna, do we know what this pause will affect, what kinds of weaponry, et cetera, it will cover?
Well, Michelle, we don't know a whole lot so far. This pause appears to affect at least a billion dollars in weapons and ammunition en route and on order for Ukraine. It's unclear whether this pause also includes cutting off intelligence sharing, a partnership that has helped Ukraine strategize and plan. I should emphasize that this is the worst case scenario for Ukrainians, since the U.S. has been the country's strongest single ally. since Russia's full-scale invasion three years ago. And it's painful for Ukrainians because President Zelensky has repeatedly thanked the U.S. for helping his country. And Ukrainians say they are fighting to preserve American-style liberty and democracy.
Do you have a sense of whether this was a surprise in Ukraine?
there hasn't been much official reaction yet though a member of ukraine's parliament said lawmakers have been in meetings to find alternatives to usaid i've been speaking with ukrainians over the last few days and many say they were expecting something like this even before friday's debacle in the oval office president trump was repeating kremlin talking points for example claiming it was Ukraine, not Russia, that started the war. And the Trump administration has not been pushing back on some of Moscow's demands, including Ukraine giving up territory and a path to NATO membership.
Do you have a sense of what kind of impact pulling this aid will have, recognizing, like you just said, that we're not exactly sure what it covers? But do you have a sense even now of what kind of impact this is going to have?
Well, Michelle, there might not be an immediate impact. A member of the Ukrainian Parliament's Defense Committee said today that Ukraine might be able to hold on for about six months without U.S. aid. Ukraine's defense industry has also been growing exponentially since Russia's 2022 invasion. So some supplies can also come from Ukraine itself. For example, Ukraine has become a powerhouse manufacturer of drones. which can replace artillery to some extent on the battlefield. But Ukraine can't replace everything like Bradley fighting vehicles or GPS guided rockets or crucially Patriot air defense systems, which are key to protecting Ukrainian cities from nightly attacks by Russian drones and missiles.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why did the White House pause military aid to Ukraine?
0:03–0:41
2
What are the implications of Trump's tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China?
0:41–1:21
3
How is Ukraine reacting to the U.S. aid pause?
1:21–3:58
4
What can Ukraine do without U.S. military aid?
3:58–5:34
5
What will Trump discuss in his address to Congress?
5:34–7:30
6
What themes will Trump's address to Congress cover?
7:30–14:42
Speakers
10 identifiedMore from Up First from NPR
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