MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The White House says it will pause military aid to Ukraine as the country continues to defend itself from Russian attacks.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
A White House official told NPR the administration wants to review the aid to see if it is contributing to peace. The decision comes after President Trump and Vice President Vance berated Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an Oval Office meeting last Friday.
MARTIN: Joining us now to talk about all this is NPR's Ukraine correspondent, Joanna Kakissis. Joanna, good morning.
JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: Joanna, do we know what this pause will affect, what kinds of weaponry, etc., it will cover?
KAKISSIS: Well, Michel, we don't know a whole lot so far. This pause appears to affect at least a billion dollars in weapons and ammunition en route and on order for Ukraine. It's unclear whether this pause also includes cutting off intelligence sharing, a partnership that has helped Ukraine strategize and plan. I should emphasize that this is the worst-case scenario for Ukrainians since the U.S. has been the country's strongest single ally since Russia's full-scale invasion three years ago. And it's painful for Ukrainians because President Zelenskyy has repeatedly thanked the U.S. for helping his country, and Ukrainians say they are fighting to preserve American-style liberty and democracy.
MARTIN: Do you have a sense of whether this was a surprise in Ukraine?
KAKISSIS: Well, there hasn't been much official reaction yet, though a member of Ukraine's parliament said lawmakers have been in meetings to find alternatives to U.S. aid. I've been speaking with Ukrainians over the last few days, and many say they were expecting something like this. Even before Friday's debacle in the Oval Office, President Trump was repeating Kremlin talking points, for example, claiming it was Ukraine, not Russia that started the war. And the Trump administration has not been pushing back on some of Moscow's demands, including Ukraine giving up territory and a path to NATO membership.
MARTIN: Do you have a sense of what kind of impact pulling this aid will have, recognizing, like you just said, that we're not exactly sure what it covers? But do you have a sense, even now, of what kind of impact this is going to have?
KAKISSIS: Well, Michel, there might not be an immediate impact. A member of the Ukrainian parliament's defense committee said today that Ukraine might be able to hold on for about six months without U.S. aid. Ukraine's defense industry has also been growing exponentially since Russia's 2022 invasion, so some supplies can also come from Ukraine itself. For example, Ukraine has become a powerhouse manufacturer of drones, which can replace artillery to some extent on the battlefield. But Ukraine can't replace everything, like Bradley Fighting Vehicles or GPS-guided rockets or, crucially, Patriot air defense systems, which are key to protecting Ukrainian cities from nightly attacks by Russian drones and missiles. And also there is the Starlink system owned by Trump ally Elon Musk. Starlink helps the military communicate.
MARTIN: You know, I think people might remember that Ukraine already has some experience with the U.S. holding back military aid. In 2023, Trump directed Republicans in Congress to stall a multibillion-dollar package which had been proposed by the Biden administration. Can you just remind us what happened then?
KAKISSIS: Yeah. Well, holding up military aid back then certainly had a clear impact. The lack of air defense systems meant Ukrainian cities were less protected from Russian attacks, as were Ukraine's thermal power plants, which Russia repeatedly bombed and largely destroyed. And soldiers on the front line ran so low on artillery shells that they had to ration them. Some military analysts here say Russia, as a result, was able to take key cities because of weakened Ukrainian defenses.
MARTIN: So, Joanna, before we let you go, what are Ukraine's options?
KAKISSIS: Well, Michel, Europe has stepped up its support. And recent research shows that the bloc could make up the difference in military aid, at least for a while. This morning, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also laid out a plan for the EU to boost its own defense spending by about 800 billion euros. But without the U.S., defending Ukraine and Europe will be challenging, especially in the long run.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Joanna Kakissis in Kyiv. Thanks, Joanna.
KAKISSIS: You're welcome, Michel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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