U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a suspension of all military aid to Ukraine, escalating pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky mere days after a heated exchange in the Oval Office cast doubt on U.S. support for Kyiv.

A senior Defense Department official told Bloomberg that all U.S. military assistance to Ukraine is on hold until Trump determines that Ukrainian leaders are making a genuine effort toward peace.

The pause affects not only future aid but also weapons already in transit, including shipments on aircraft and ships, as well as equipment awaiting transfer in Poland.

MBFC
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Edit: changed source from Bloomberg to Kyiv Independent b/c there’s no paywall and more detail in the story.

  • Lanske@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    I have not a lot of knowledge how American politics work, but isn’t this for congress to decide? how is Trump so powerful? (sorry for my daft question)

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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      It’s very illegal. He has already been impeached once for withdrawing military aid to Ukraine in his first term.

      And you see where that got us.

    • Soulg@ani.social
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      2 hours ago

      Republicans hold the majority in congress, so they’re refusing to push back and are just allowing him to usurp power from them.

      • Lanske@lemmy.world
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        Thnx for your reply! i understand that, but it seems nothing goes via congress?!

        • jackeryjoo@lemmy.world
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          1 hour ago

          Congress is a check and balance to executive power, just like the judicial.

          They are not checking or balancing his power. So they are in effect, impotent.

    • ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml
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      It isn’t daft. The Republicans since Reagan have pushed a fringe legal theory called the Unitary Executive Theory. Basically, they want the president to fully control the executive branch and military such that theirs is the only voice that matters for much of the government. Not unlike a king, but partially checked by congress and the courts. They have been taking (illegal) actions to try to get sued, and also have been suing others/other branches of government, to try to get the Supreme Court to hear cases that will support this fringe legal theory so that it becomes the law of the land.

      I am not a lawyer, but this is possibly something Trump can legally do since he is Commander in Chief of the armed forces. However, this seems more like an apportionment thing, which is Congress’ responsibility. Congress has allocated funds to send military aid to Ukraine. So, even if Trump as Commander in Chief could say “no more weapons to ukraine”, it seems doubtful to me that he could (legally) stop weapons shipments currently en route.

      But, by the time whatever government office sues the office of the president to get a judge to enjoin them to send the agreed upon weapons that were already apportioned, it will already have hurt Ukraine somewhat. Trump often weaponizes inefficiency. And these sort of illegal acts aren’t crimes per se - they’re just procedural breaches - the legal remedy is just to reverse the action.

      So, probably not legal. But Trump gets to weaponize his administration’s incompetence (or feigned incompetence) to at least delay aid. More competent people may support these actions, knowing they’re illegal, to try and strengthen the president’s role even further.

        • AES_Enjoyer@reddthat.com
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          The answer is simpler than that: the “checks and balances” system is a facade created to prevent meaningful progressive policy from passing. There’s a reason why Trump can modify a billion laws from day 1, but poor Biden couldn’t possibly do anything to codify abortion as a right or prevent the bombing of children in Gaza.

  • GrymEdm@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    The US wouldn’t stop military aid to Israel while the IDF destroyed hospitals and killed children and journalists among many other war crimes. They will freeze aid to Ukraine as it defends itself in a war of conquest. Evidence suggests the USA would rather align with criminals like Putin and Netanyahu than war victims.

  • Sati1984@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    Each time I read “Trump orders”, “Trump does X”, I always ask myself: “Wait, can he do that? Congress? House? Judiciary? Cheks? Balances? Hellooooooooooo…?”…

    … but this is still the first few months of his second term. At this pace, he will be a literal king in a few more months.

    A scary prospect to say the least, and I hope it’s not too late for America to do something about this. This should not be normalized. This cannot be normalized.

    • prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works
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      2 hours ago

      The average us citizen doesn’t have a solid grasps of how our government actually works.

      Defunding education and gutting curriculum and removing civics education has … been impactful.

      • AES_Enjoyer@reddthat.com
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        I’d say the average republican does have a solid grasp of how the government works, seeing the extremely high activity of Trump’s government. Turns out the “checks and balances” and the “branches of government” and all of that shit only serves to slow down progressive policy. When it’s about bombing brown kids or defending healthcare, policy can speed through the fucking system

    • AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world
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      Laws only have value as long as someone is willing to enforce them. It’s all a social construct.

      I’m not from the US and am far from being a legal expert, but your country appears to be close to being lawless (or is getting there at an accelerated pace).

  • Grizzlyboy@lemm.ee
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    7 hours ago

    Since he can’t do this and needs congress’ help, why aren’t they stopping him? Why are they all bending over backwards to please Putin?

    • skygirl@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      Because the only meaningful political move for Republicans today is to follow Trump. If they push back they get cut from the pack and lose support.

  • Ronno@feddit.nl
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    9 hours ago

    until Trump determines that Ukrainian leaders are making a genuine effort toward peace.

    They are literally shooting every Russian they spot on their soil, how is that not making a genuine effort toward peace?

    • index@sh.itjust.works
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      They are literally shooting every Russian they spot on their soil

      There are 8 millions russian speakers living in ukraine i hope these don’t count as “russian”

      • sudneo@lemm.ee
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        3 hours ago

        Only the Russian imperial narrative is so that Russians speaking people are considered Russians. There are Russian speaking people in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and in many -Stans, they are not Russians.

        Not a very useful remark. The Ukrainian army is full of Russians speaking people.

        • index@sh.itjust.works
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          There are ethnic russians there. What i’m pointing out is that “shooting every russian they spot” sounds racist.

          • sudneo@lemm.ee
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            I saw you around, and I know also you are Italian, so I will tell you in a way you understand. You are being a “puntalcazzista” to throw shade on Ukraine with vague racism claims. Anybody with a pulse will understand that “shooting every Russian on the spot” means “shooting every invader”, and that roughly would include also north Koreans or other ethnicities, should those set foot in Ukraine to assist Russian invasion. You are trying to claim an interpretation that doesn’t make sense, because - as I told you and you can easily verify - the Ukrainian army itself is full of Russian speaking people, who you might call “ethnic Russian” - whatever you think that means. So unless you are honestly suggesting that OP was suggesting Ukrainian army is also shooting on the spot to members of its own army, we both know what you are doing.

            • index@sh.itjust.works
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              I saw you around, and I know also you are Italian, so I will tell you in a way you understand. You are being a “puntalcazzista” to throw shade on Ukraine with vague racism claims. Anybody with a pulse will understand that “shooting every Russian on the spot” means “shooting every invader”

              You must be new here, people have been racist toward russians for a good time.

              https://sh.itjust.works/post/27157199

              How exactly i’m throwing shade on ukraine by pointing out a racist generalization in comment?

              • prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works
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                You’re either not understanding the intent of their message or you’re willfully twisting it.

                That’s what is being pointed out.

                They’re clearly referencing the invaders, you misunderstood and took umbrage where you didn’t need to. Having been corrected you’re still pushing the idea that they were being racist.

                You’re acting in bad faith.

                • index@sh.itjust.works
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                  You’re either not understanding the intent of their message or you’re willfully twisting it.

                  How i’m twisting anything? To me it looks like you are try to twist things here accusing me of being in bad faith when i simply pointed out yet another discrimination against “russians” as if they were all bad. Are you aware that there are russian people living in ukraine?

              • sudneo@lemm.ee
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                I am not new, but I have a skill that you might find useful, it’s called “context”.

                racist generalization in comment?

                Because there is no any racial generalization. From the context it was clear to anybody who is in good faith what OP meant. Even if it wasn’t, OP comment was a statement on what is happening, so your remark “I hope they don’t…” doesn’t make any fucking sense, because you can just check what they are doing. Currently Russians in Ukraine that are being shot are invading troops.

                So let’s make a parallel. “Partisans were shooting germans”, in the context of Italian resistance. Do you think it’s a racist remark? Would you feel the need to say " oh boy, I hope they don’t shoot German civilians", “oh, there are ethnical Germans in the north, I hope they are not shooting them”. No you wouldn’t, because what you are doing is not in good faith, you are not raising any valid concern, you are just purposefully misunderstanding OP to stir shit.

                • index@sh.itjust.works
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                  2 hours ago

                  partisans were shooting germans troops, soldiers or the nazi they weren’t “shooting every german on the spot"

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Just as his master told him.

    The US media still does not dare to call Trump a Russian agent, despite him showing all symptoms.

    There has been no single Russian attempt to destroy the US being as successful as putting their own agent into the White House, right into the Oval Office.

    • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      And then finally we will build a memorial building in their honor? One where all their carcasses are placed in a viewing chamber protected by glass at the basement of the building where as the first floor and subsequent other floors are all subdivided in public toilets and urinals. You stop there waiting for a bus, but you need to go. So you get into urinal #275. You do your business, then you either flush or you pay $0.50. Then you go to the basemen if you paid. There you press in your urinal number to watch a beautiful yellow fountain splash on their graves. Putin will land there first. Then after every nazi will end up in there. All profit goes the LGBTQ+A community. Anyhoo, I’m not the first to propose this instead of a library. We could have an LGBTQ+A library on the 2nd floor?

    • commander@lemmings.world
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      7 hours ago

      We can blame the people who voted for hillary clinton in the 2016 primary for why we have 2 trump presidencies.

      We can blame the people who voted for Biden in the 2020 primary for why we essentially have 12 years of trump.

      Democrats have shown repeatedly they’d rather have trump over someone who tries to reduce the disparity in wealth, so that’s what we get.

      Now they can all order doordash from their quarter-of-a-million-dollars suburban homes while complaining they don’t have enough money. (and get mad at anyone who criticizes them for it)

      • Tja@programming.dev
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        What suburb are you in that you get a whole house for 250k AND doordash still delivers there???

      • FatCrab@lemmy.one
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        4 hours ago

        No, i think I’m primarily going to blame the people who voted for Trump for Trump being elected.

        • commander@lemmings.world
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          You can blame both!

          It’s just expected that republicans will work against the working class at this point. The “lesser evil” is seen as good because of how weak, greedy, entitled, and pitiful liberals are.

  • peoplebeproblems@midwest.social
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    12 hours ago

    Ok. Part 1 is done. Part 2 & 3 (order doesn’t matter) is that Trump ends sanctions and then stages a massive false flag attack that they then blame on Ukrainian Extremists upset over the ending of support to enact a full police state.

    Part 4: ???

    Part 5: profit

    • WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works
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      8 hours ago

      As far as I’m aware, the military, in the best case, will simply refuse to follow unlawful orders. There are formal processes to do so. That’s part of military culture and law. Whether that system will hold up to Trump is unknown. When he issues unlawful orders, will soldiers simply refuse to comply? Unknown.

      But one thing is for sure. It’s not part of military culture to actively resist. There is no formal process for that to be protected or OK. That’s simply insurrection and rebellion.

      • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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        5 hours ago

        Dictators fear military coups, that’s why people like Putin keeps them weak and fighting themselves

    • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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      13 hours ago

      The military that he just dismissed the leadership of and replaced with his own people, and the CIA that’s directed by his people?

      • Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        Here’s the pickle though. Wouldn’t it be reasonable if another administration get in power and then need to purge all these positions of pro trump people?

        Like what happens next? it’s such a bleak world now.

        • Spzi@lemm.ee
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          Wouldn’t it be reasonable if another administration get in power and then need to purge all these positions of pro trump people?

          Oh no! You have a great point for horror fans there.

          I’d even say, it probably is somewhat necessary in order to resume administration. What a beautiful, postfactual dilemma:

          The Reps fear an ideological, systemic witch hunt, which they use as an excuse to replace government workers. The new workers are ideologically aligned with the Reps, encouraged to assist the dismantling of non-Rep institutions and carry out the King’s will above and beyond the law.

          Now when votes swing the other way, the new administration kind of has to revert some of this damage to assume functioning.

          Which is where the circle closes; the prophecy fulfills itself. Now the Reps have evidence for their previously baseless claims. The whole system is locked in a back-and-forth mud wrestling of replacing workers based on ideology.

          • Phytobus@lemm.ee
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            That’s the problem with the two-party system in the USA, in a full democracy this dynamic wouldn’t happen. This is the achilles heel of american democracy and the downfall seems to have begun.

    • Riddick3001@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      “Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic ;that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter: So help you God?”

    • commander@lemmings.world
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      8 hours ago

      What do you mean? Trump is an asset of the ruling class.

      Rich people in the nation have literally nothing to fear while he’s in office, so we shouldn’t expect the military or any 3-letter agencies to do anything about it.

    • Montagge@lemmy.zip
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      13 hours ago

      I don’t know that the CIA has ever given a shit about the United States.

      Hell H.W. Bush was the son of a man that tried to overthrow the government and Ford appointed him to CIA director in the 70s.

      • Bronzebeard@lemm.ee
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        12 hours ago

        Given how big a security leak the dipshit is, and he already got a ton of their agents in the field killed the first time around, it’s not so much them caring about the US, but then seeing a threat to their own power.

    • in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      14 hours ago

      If… Let’s say if… It’ll take some planning, they wouldn’t just do it willy nilly they gotta plan the hit, find the right assets, find the right areas, research, etc. it takes a lot of work to whack somebody it’s not like The Sopranos or anything.

        • in4apenny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          Yeah it’s fucking wild the efforts they go through. Even if it’s as discreet as a walk-by in a parking garage with a suppressed pistol or strangled in a car, there will be at least 10 people doing different jobs with zero knowledge of what the others are doing or what the end goal is, all doing a very simple task that any normal person could do with probable ignorance. Real life examples of how the mafia do hits are really intricate: You pay one guy to flatten a tire, you pay another guy to drive the tow truck, you pay another guy to ask them for directions to delay them a bit, you pay another guy to be an uber or taxi driver, you pay another guy to receive where the taxi/uber is going, this is all after paying probably a few other dudes to study their schedule and the schedule of their visitors/guests, pay another dude to get keep their neighbor or something distracted, pay another dude to take the shot and dip (source: I know a guy who knows a guy who knows another guy). It’s very expensive and time consuming, that’s why organized hits don’t happen a lot it’s gotta be worth the investment. This would be much harder to pull off against someone with 24/7 secret service guard, but the CIA/FBI/Police are pros at pulling shit off like this.

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    14 hours ago

    This is what I hope happens next: Ukraine wins anyway. European politicians that still weren’t sure about defending themselves without the US will be emboldened not to rely on America anymore. Europe as a whole becomes stronger and much less willing to tolerate Trump’s obnoxious demands, and see him as the weak puppet that he is.

    • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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      11 hours ago

      At some point, Europe has to start wondering whether it’s really such a good thing to have US military bases all over their continent.

    • angrystego@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Weak puppet with strong army. What makes anyone think stopping aid to Ukraine is all he can do. The sanctions against Russia are going to be lifted next, and if necessary, the aid is going to Russia. Europe has enough power against Russia, but not against Russia + the US.

    • taiyang@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Look, stranger things have happened but I get the sense it’s more likely Putin dies and the whole thing kind of crumbles. That’s the likelier, although still entirely unlikely scenario.

      It’d still be pretty nice to see less reliance on the US except global peace relies on more trust, not less. The US might need systemic reforms to get there, but even Russia looked like it could be an ally to EU prior to Putin, just all countries need better safeguards to avoid backsliding into authoritarianism. I’m not sure what those would be, but you can’t have global peace without addressing these countries.

      • Ronno@feddit.nl
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        To be honest, I think we are well passed that scenario. Even if Putin dies today, his puppets in Russia will grab for power. Meanwhile, they still own the president of the US. They know they have the support needed to win in Ukraine, they will use it to build trust with the citizens of Russia and show strength. Even better, the US will be weakened in supporting Russia, but that’s not really a bad scenario for Russia either.