US to cut Ukraine aid – defense secretary

A peaceful end to the conflict is in Washington’s interests, Pete Hegseth has said

The White House will be slashing military funding for Ukraine as the administration of US President Donald Trump seeks a peaceful resolution to the conflict, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said.

The Pentagon chief made the statement before the House Appropriations Committee in Congress on Tuesday.

“It is a reduction in this budget,” Hegseth said when asked about upcoming military aid funding for Ukraine.

“This administration takes a very different view of that conflict,” he added.

Trump has worked towards negotiating an end to the Ukraine conflict and has diplomatically re-engaged with Russia. Since he took office in January, Moscow and Kiev have restarted direct talks for the first time since 2022, when Ukraine unilaterally left the first Istanbul negotiations.

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“A negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation's interests especially with all the competing interests around the globe,” Hegseth said.

The Trump administration has also touted an “America First” pivot and significantly cut foreign assistance, including aid to Ukraine, promising to channel funds towards domestic issues.

Last week, US Vice President J.D. Vance echoed Trump’s criticism of his predecessor Joe Biden, accusing his administration of spending “crazy” amounts of money on supporting Kiev. “They sent $300 billion to Ukraine,” without “trying to force a diplomatic settlement,” he said.

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In April, Trump signed a major deal with Kiev allowing the US priority access to Ukraine’s mineral wealth, in what he described would be a way for Washington to “get back” the hundreds of billions it spent on Ukraine under Biden.

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has often complained of a constant shortage of US-supplied air defenses, and waning assistance from Washington in recent months. Additionally, the Trump administration rerouted some 20,000 anti-drone missiles – initially earmarked for Kiev under Biden – to the Middle East, the Ukrainian leader claimed on Sunday.