Kyiv "absolutely determined" to cooperate with US, says PM Denys Smyhal

Kyiv [Ukriane], March 4 (ANI): Following the decision of the Donald Trump administration in the United States to halt military aid to Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Smyhal said Kyiv is "absolutely determined to continue cooperation with the US" despite the Trump administration's suspension of military aid, Al Jazeera reported.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, said that Ukraine is conducting a thorough audit of what programmes will be affected and where current partnerships can pick up the slack.
The decision from the Trump administration evoked sharp criticism from leaders across various countries.
"Fundamentally, if you want peace, does a decision to suspend arms to Ukraine reinforce peace, or does it make it more distant?" French junior minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad, said. "It makes it more distant because it only strengthens the hand of the aggressor on the ground, which is Russia."
"We remain absolutely committed to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort," a British government spokesperson said in a statement. "It is the right thing to do, and is in our interest to do so."
A spokesperson for the Hungarian government, which is diverging from its Western allies regarding Russia and its war against Ukraine, said: "The US president and the Hungarian government share the same stance," as quoted by Al Jazeera.
"Instead of continuing weapons shipments and the war, a ceasefire and peace talks are needed as soon as possible," the spokesperson added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said in a letter to EU member states that the continent was facing "the most momentous and dangerous of times."
US President Donald Trump will pause military aid to Ukraine, following a spat with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, Al Jazeera reported.
Trump will pause all aid until Kyiv is committed to what he determines are good-faith negotiations for peace, multiple US media outlets reported on Monday, citing unnamed Trump administration officials, as per Al Jazeera.
"The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well," an unnamed White House official was quoted as saying by multiple outlets, as per Al Jazeera.
"We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution," the official was quoted as saying.
The move came hours after Trump accused Zelenskyy of not wanting peace "as long he has America's backing" in a post on Truth Social, escalating a war of words that culminated in a stunning public clash between the two leaders at the White House on Friday.
The decision to suspend the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in arms and ammunition that are in the pipeline is likely to deal a serious blow to Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia's invasion.
The Ukraine-US relationship's lowest point was when Trump took issue with Zelenskyy's suggestion that the end of his country's war against Russia's invading forces was likely still "very, very far away", as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)