The aid suspension comes just days after US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and assured him that assistance would continue, according to reports.
The decision to halt aid now raises questions about Washington’s long-term commitment to Kyiv and its broader role in European security.
Stanisław Koziej, a retired brigadier general and former head of Poland’s National Security Bureau (BBN), said on Tuesday the move signals that Trump is not acting as a mediator in the conflict but is instead pressuring Kyiv to capitulate.
'Trump is siding with the aggressor'
“If he truly wanted to be a fair mediator, he should exert at least equal pressure on both sides to reach a truce," Koziej said. "Instead, we see that Trump is siding with the aggressor."
Speaking to Poland's PAP news agency, Koziej also called for the EU to build up its operational military capabilities, independent of NATO.
“If NATO’s reliability is in doubt, we must act without waiting for it, as the alliance could be paralyzed by a lack of US involvement,” he said.
“The EU must do this, or it will be unable to take any steps to strengthen its position against Russia, because there are two pro-Russian states in the bloc—Hungary and Slovakia,” Koziej argued.
The aid suspension decision affects weapons that were in transit to Ukraine as well as those stored in Poland, the Bloomberg news agency reported.
A US official was cited as saying that the move is intended to ensure that American support contributes to resolving the war.
However, since taking office, Trump has not approved any new military aid packages for Ukraine, only allowing the continued flow of weapons under the last package authorized by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Trump still has the authority to transfer USD 4 billion worth of weapons from US stockpiles to Kyiv, the PAP news agency reported.
Trump's decision 'strengthens Russia'
According to Koziej, the suspension immediately weakens Ukraine’s ability to resist Russia’s aggression.
"Soldiers on the front are already counting every round of ammunition, uncertain whether they will have enough for tomorrow’s battle,” he said.
He warned that Ukraine now faces the difficult choice of either retreating and losing territory at an accelerated rate or continuing to fight with dwindling resources and suffering defeat.
Koziej also argued that the decision strengthens Russia both strategically and on the battlefield.
“Russia will likely increase its pressure on the front lines to break Ukrainian positions and achieve as many military gains as possible,” he said
Additionally, he cautioned that Moscow would intensify its information warfare, using Washington’s actions to portray Zelensky as irresponsible and Ukraine as unwilling to end the war.
Beyond the immediate battlefield impact, Koziej said the decision will have serious consequences for Europe.
"Europe is facing an increasingly complex set of challenges, and there is no time left to react," he said.
He argued that the move fuels uncertainty about the reliability of US security guarantees within NATO, especially ahead of the alliance's summit in The Hague in June.
EU 'must take on greater strategic role in defense'
“The question now is whether NATO, which has been the foundation of European security, can be preserved in its current form, or whether its principles will have to change drastically,” Koziej said.
He also argued that the European Union must take on a greater strategic role in defense, not just in economic and political affairs.
He suggested that to do so, the EU must develop a mechanism for making security and defense decisions even in the absence of unanimous agreement among its member states.
The bloc’s “enhanced cooperation” framework, which allows a group of countries to deepen their collaboration in specific areas, could be one way forward, he said.
Koziej pointed to existing multinational military structures in Europe as a possible foundation for EU military command.
He mentioned two corps-level commands—the Eurocorps in Strasbourg, France, and the Multinational Corps Northeast in Szczecin, Poland, which is led by Poland, Germany, and Denmark—as potential building blocks.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP