US President Donald Trump has halted all military aid to Ukraine, including that already in transit, while the White House assesses whether Kyiv is demonstrating a “good-faith commitment to peace,” a senior Defense Department official told Bloomberg on Monday, March 3.

The decision is effective immediately and affects all US military equipment not yet delivered, including weapons in transit by air and sea or awaiting transfer in Poland.

A White House official confirmed the administration would review the aid package to ensure it is contributing to a resolution of the conflict. The suspension casts uncertainty over the $3.85bn in weapons from US stockpiles that Trump inherited from former President Joe Biden.

Even before Monday’s decision to halt deliveries, it was unclear whether the new administration would utilise these funds, given concerns over depleted US weapons reserves.

The decision to halt aid follows on from a notorious press conference between Trump and Zelenskiy that descended into a shouting match between two presidents on February 28. Zelenskiy left that meeting without signing a harsh minerals deal that Trump has been insisting on as a condition for further US support.

US-Ukraine relations got off to a rocky start in the first weeks thanks to missing money, delayed arms deliveries and demand for mining deals, which dominated the agenda. Trump had already suspended military deliveries to Ukraine shortly after he took office, but was persuaded to restart them. Now Ukraine’s worst nightmare has come true as relations between Washington and Kyiv have completely collapsed.

For his part Zelenskiy said in interviews and on social media that he is still willing to deal with the White House as the relations are “between two people” not just two men.

Trump has made it clear he wants a swift end to the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

European allies are now scrambling to develop contingency plans to sustain military supplies to Ukraine and explore options for deploying peacekeeping forces. However, Europe lacks many of the advanced weapons systems currently supplied by the US, raising concerns over Kyiv’s ability to sustain its defence without US support.

Earlier on March 3, Trump had indicated he was still open to signing off on the minerals agreement with Kyiv, a deal European leaders hoped could serve as a foundation for broader negotiations.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are drafting a temporary ceasefire proposal to present to Washington. The plan would establish an initial truce between Ukraine and Russia, allowing negotiations to begin on a durable peace agreement backed by a coalition of European troops and US security guarantees.

The uncertainty surrounding US support has impacted on global markets. Defence-related stocks rallied in the Asia-Pacific region on Tuesday, with analysts citing increased European demand for military hardware. Shares in South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace Co. and Hyundai Rotem Co. rose more than 11%, while Japan’s IHI Corp. climbed nearly 7% in Tokyo, Bloomberg reports.