 "Ukrainian service members fire a shell from a M777 Howitzer at a front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv Region, Ukraine. File Image- Reuters")
Russia said on Tuesday that the decision of the US to suspend aid to Kyiv was the best contribution to ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
“If the United States stops (military supplies), this would probably be the best contribution to peace,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that it was a “solution which could really push the Kyiv regime to a peace process”.
He added: “We will see how the situation on the ground evolves,” stressing that the US had been Ukraine’s main military supplier since Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine in February 2023.
The statement came after US President Donald Trump paused military aid to Ukraine following last week’s clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, potentially hampering Ukraine’s efforts to fend off Russia as he pivots towards warmer relations with Moscow.
The pause, announced on Monday, has gone into effect immediately and impacts hundreds of millions of dollars of weaponry in the process of being sent to Ukraine, The New York Times reported.
France condemned Washington’s cut-off of aid, while Britain was more circumspect.
Suspending arms to Ukraine made peace “more distant, because it only strengthens the hand of the aggressor on the ground, which is Russia,” said French junior minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad.
A British government spokesperson said: “We remain absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort.”
Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv said they felt abandoned.
“Yes, it is betrayal, let’s call it like it is,” said lawyer Olena Bilova, 47. “But let’s hope that American civil society and the elites of the European Union will not leave us alone.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled proposals to boost spending on defence in the EU, which she said could mobilise up to 800 billion euros ($840 billion). The EU is holding an emergency summit on Thursday.
On Monday, Trump again said Zelenskiy should be more appreciative of American support after earlier responding angrily to a report quoting Zelenskiy as saying the war’s end was “very, very far away”.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
With inputs from agencies