The question of whether U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine will be resumed in its fight against Russia remains unanswered, as President Trump seems to be seeking more than the long-awaited minerals and economic partnership deal to lift the pause he has imposed. The specific criteria for restarting aid are still unclear, leaving many to wonder what the Trump administration’s next move will be.
Keith Kellogg, the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, discussed the situation during a conversation with Margaret Brennan at the Council on Foreign Relations on a recent Thursday. “The president of the United States did not say it has ended. He said it is paused. That is transitional,” Kellogg stated. However, the envoy admitted that he personally was not privy to what would guide the decision-making process for resuming aid. “That’s his call. And I would leave it up to him to make the decision when he thinks it’s equitable or when it’s—when a pause should be lifted,” Kellogg added.
In the meantime, diplomatic sources informed CBS on Sunday that there is currently no indication that U.S. aid will be reinitiated. This news has sent ripples of concern through the international community, particularly among U.S. allies. The halting of aid has not only blindsided Ukraine, but it has also emboldened Russia to escalate its attacks. Moreover, it leaves Ukraine partially blinded in terms of intelligence and military strategy.
Fiona Hill, the former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the U.S. National Security Council during Mr. Trump’s first administration, spoke to Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” about the situation. “I think we can see the impact. It’s certainly, on the one hand, emboldened Russia to really step up the attacks. And it’s also not just blindsided, but also partially blinded Ukraine,” Hill said.
Moreover, Hill suggested that the situation could prompt other allies to reconsider their intelligence-sharing practices with the United States. “And frankly, I think it’s going to be an impetus to other allies to start stepping up their own capabilities and questioning themselves about the virtues of sharing with the United States,” Hill added. “I mean, this is a two-way street. We have to remember that other countries also share pretty vital information with the United States, even if the scale is not quite the same.”
In an attempt to address the situation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this week. This meeting will be the first face-to-face discussion since the explosive Oval Office confrontation between Presidents Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy that led to the U.S. cutoff. National security adviser Mike Waltz raised expectations on Friday in the Oval Office that he would discuss reviving the minerals deal and attempting to establish a ceasefire to “drive peace home.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s friend and envoy to the Mideast, announced separately that he would be part of the team meeting with Ukrainian officials. However, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy will not be part of the meeting on Tuesday. He announced that he would be in Saudi Arabia on Monday and that a Ukrainian delegation — including key aide Andry Yermak, along with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, and deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa — would meet with the Americans.
During the Thursday conversation with Brennan, envoy Kellogg also revealed that the Trump administration was awaiting what he referred to as Ukraine’s “term sheet” for ending the war. He mentioned that the Russian version had already been received. Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokesperson, issued a statement on Friday indicating that Rubio had spoken with Ukraine’s foreign minister about “all sides” taking steps to secure a sustainable peace, implying a request for Ukrainian concessions. However, it remains unclear whether Russia has offered any concessions.
Kellogg noted that Trump had mentioned the possibility of Ukraine regaining territory from the Russians, but did not specify which territory. This lack of clarity adds to the uncertainty about what would trigger any U.S. pressure on Russia. Mr. Trump posted on social media that he would consider sanctions on Russian energy and banking, but then later stated in the Oval Office that Putin’s escalated attacks on Ukraine during the U.S. pause was an action “anybody would do.”
Fiona Hill expressed her skepticism about Trump’s statements on “Face the Nation.” “I don’t believe what he said for a second about the sanctions,” Hill said. “I believe more what he just said there in the Oval Office, sitting behind, you know, the resolute desk.”
Hill continued, “He sees, you know, obviously, the Ukraine- Ukrainians, and he said that in the Oval Office during the meeting with President Zelenskyy, that he sees them on the back foot, as losing, and he’s basically telling them that they have to capitulate. Very clear.”
Kellogg suggested that there was room for increased U.S. pressure on Moscow, particularly in terms of enforcing existing sanctions. “I think it was between one to 10, we’re probably at a seven. The problem is with enforcement we’re probably at a three,” Kellogg revealed. “I think the most important thing is the enforcement sanctions, not to serve the sanctions themselves.”
According to information confirmed by three U.S. officials via CBS News, the U.S. has paused lethal intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which includes no longer providing coordinates for the targeting of Ukrainian strikes for US-provided weapons like HIMARS. In a statement released on Saturday, private sector company Maxar imagery confirmed that the US government had “temporarily suspended Ukrainian accounts” in its Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery program, which provides Ukraine access to commercial satellite imagery collected by U.S. intelligence.
The Trump administration has also halted the transfer of any of the $3.85 billion in remaining military equipment designated for delivery to Ukraine. Furthermore, the European Command told CBS in a statement that it had been ordered to mothball deliveries of weapons already in transit from past shipments approved by the Biden administration prior to January 20th.
However, two U.S. officials confirmed that the government is still sharing some intelligence with Ukraine to allow its forces to protect themselves against Russian attacks. Republican Rep Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a member of the intelligence committee, told “Face the Nation” on Sunday that lawmakers would be briefed on the specifics of the Trump intel cutoff this coming week.
In conclusion, the Trump administration’s pause on U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine has left many questions unanswered. As diplomatic talks continue and international tensions rise, the world watches and waits to see what the next steps will be in this geopolitical chess game.
