RussiaTrump suspends US aid - Ukraine fears for support
SDA
25.1.2025 - 05:14
ARCHIVE - Donald Trump (l), Republican presidential candidate and former US president, greets Senator Marco Rubio of Florida during a campaign event at the J.S. Dorton Arena. The Republican Senator from the state of Florida, Marco Rubio, is to become Secretary of State in Donald Trump's future US administration. Trump announced this in a written statement. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP/dpa
Keystone
Ukraine must fear for the disbursement of already approved US aid.
Keystone-SDA
25.01.2025, 05:14
SDA
According to several media reports, the US State Department has ordered a 90-day freeze on a large part of foreign aid in accordance with an order from President Donald Trump. "Politico" and the "Wall Street Journal" both reported that military aid to Israel and Egypt was exempt. There was no mention of Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. The USA has been Ukraine's biggest supporter to date.
"Politico" made it clear that the extent of the directive was unclear - and whether it affected already approved US military aid for Ukraine. However, it appears to temporarily halt funding for allies such as Ukraine, the portal reported, citing current and former Department officials.
The State Department initially declined to comment when asked. Last spring, the US Congress released new funds amounting to around 61 billion US dollars (58 billion euros) for Ukraine. Most of the money was spent by the end of Joe Biden's term of office - but not all of it.
Trump wants a reassessment according to the motto "America first"
The directive from the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio means that temporarily no more aid money already approved by the US government will be distributed to programs, "Politico" reported, citing its sources.
On his first day in office, Trump had ordered a 90-day pause in the distribution of development aid in order to reassess it. Accordingly, only funds that are in line with the president's foreign policy - i.e. in the national interest of the USA - are to be disbursed. The State Department can exempt certain programs from this.
Selenskyj: Putin wants to manipulate Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi accused his Russian opponent Vladimir Putin of deception and manipulation attempts with regard to Trump's efforts to put an end to the war in Ukraine. "In particular, he wants to manipulate the will for peace of the President of the United States of America," said Selensky in his evening video address. However, he was confident that these Russian attempts would fail.
A few hours earlier, Putin had spoken out in favor of an early meeting with Trump to discuss all issues of interest to Russia and the USA. This was met with harsh criticism in Kiev. The Kremlin leader was trying to promote the idea of negotiations with the USA, wrote Zelenskyi's chancellery head Andriy Yermak on Telegram. "But he has one condition - he wants to negotiate the fate of Europe - without Europe. And he wants to talk about Ukraine - without Ukraine."
The Kremlin leader has been largely isolated in the West since the war began almost three years ago. "It is indeed better if we meet on the basis of today's realities to talk calmly about all the areas that are of interest to both the United States and Russia," he said, indicating a willingness to talk to Trump. "We are ready for that."
Putin was rather cautious about including Ukraine in possible talks that could lead to an end to hostilities. Kiev will "have to lift the ban on talks with Russia under pressure from the West, which supplies Ukraine", said Putin. Almost three years ago, his army invaded Ukraine on his orders. Thousands of people have already died as a result of the war, which has led to widespread destruction. Just a few hours after his inauguration on Monday, Trump announced that he wanted to talk to Putin as soon as possible.
Pistorius warns: "Putin is preparing"
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned urgently against ending aid for Ukraine in the fight against the Russian war of aggression. "If we stop supporting Ukraine tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow will be the end of Ukraine, the end of a sovereign, free state in the middle of Europe," said the SPD politician in Peine, Lower Saxony. Ukraine must be able to act from a position of strength and possibly negotiate at some point.
Pistorius responded to voices calling for support to be withdrawn because it is not Germany's war: "That's right, it's not our war, but it can become ours. Anyone listening to Putin could only come to one conclusion: "Putin is preparing," warned the Defense Minister. "We don't know if and when, but he is preparing," he added. "He is creating the conditions to seriously threaten us."
Selenskyj: Russian drones are built with Western parts
The combat drones with which the Russian armed forces have been regularly attacking Ukraine for months are being built with foreign components, according to Selenskyj. The so-called kamikaze drones, originally supplied by Iran, are now produced on an assembly line in a factory in the Russian republic of Tatarstan. "And although these "shaheds" are actually Russian, they could not have been manufactured there without foreign supplies," he said.
As an example, he cited the fact that a total of 2,635 components from other countries were in the 31 drones that were shot down by air defense last night. These included chips, switches, transmitters and receivers. In this context, Selensky called for better embargo controls in the West.
Ukraine threatens new defeat on the edge of the Donbass
After heavy fighting around the town of Velyka Novosilka on the edge of the Donbass, Ukrainian units are facing another defeat. As the pro-government Ukrainian military channel "Deep State" reported in the evening, Russian troops had already established themselves in the center of the town and begun fighting the last pockets of resistance. The Russian Ministry of Defense had previously reported a successful breakthrough by its units in Velyka Novosilka.
Velyka Novosilka was a small town with around 5,300 inhabitants before the war. It is the most south-western section of the front in the Donetsk region, close to the border with the Zaporizhzhya region.