While Democrats were condemning Donald Trump’s decision Monday to pause military aide to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was being peppered with hostile messages on Elon Musk's X.
White House officials told various media outlets that the U.S. would temporarily freeze more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition that is already ordered or in production for Ukraine, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidized purchases from American arms makers.
The decision comes after a diplomatic press conference exploded into on-camera rancor on Friday, prompting fury from Trump and an outpouring of support for Zelenskyfrom European leaders.
On Musk's right-leaning social media site X, formerly Twitter, the reaction to Monday night's news was very different. "You are leading your people to the slaughter!" said one. "Good riddance!" said another.
Many repeated Trump's false claims about Zelensky being a dictator, or offered conspiracy theories about the nature of the war.
Democratic politicians condemned Trump's decision, while Republicans offered mixed views.
"First, Donald Trump blamed Zelensky for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Then, he says he ‘trusts’ Putin. Now, he has frozen bipartisan military aid," Massachusetts senator and former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren wrote on X.
"It’s clear that Donald Trump is putting his fragile ego before our national security – siding with Putin over US allies in Europe."
First, Donald Trump blamed Zelenskyy for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 4, 2025
Then, he says he “trusts” Putin.
Now, he’s frozen bipartisan military aid.
It’s clear that Donald Trump is putting his fragile ego before our national security — siding with Putin over U.S. allies in Europe. https://t.co/ED2GhUFkVG
Philadelphia representative Brendan Boyle called it "reckless, indefensible, and a direct threat to our national security," noting that military aid was approved by both parties in Congress. New York representative called it an attempt at "extortion.”
Republican senator Susan Collins denounced the pause, saying Ukrainians are "shedding blood" in defense of their country, while her colleague Markwayne Mullin said that the war has "no end in sight," and that American taxpayers had no obligation to keep funding it.
News of the decision broke in the middle of the European night, so EU leaders largely had not commented as of late Monday evening.
However, an anonymous European official told CNN the freeze was "petty and wrong,” arguing it would lead to unnecessary civilian casualties due to a lack of air defense missiles
