Peace hopes Divisions remain at every turn, on all sides

Britain and France are trying to develop a peace plan to end the fighting in Ukraine with the country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the aftermath of the latter's disastrous White House summit.

- Dan Sabbagh

But the initiative raises questions of whether peace is possible, or if it is, on what terms.

Further complicating the picture, the Trump administration on Monday suspended delivery of all US military aid to Ukraine, blocking billions in crucial shipments as the White House piled pressure on Kyiv to sue for peace with Vladimir Putin.

The Trump administration was also this week reported to be drawing up a plan to restore ties with Russia and lift sanctions on the Kremlin.

What effect will the US pause on aid to Ukraine have? Last Friday's fiasco at the White House left the diplomatic relationship between the US and Ukraine in tatters. The US congress has approved $175bn in total assistance for Ukraine, including $65.9bn in military support, since Russia's February 2022 invasion.

But further contributions hang in the balance after Donald Trump this week ordered a pause on aid to Kyiv.

Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said Trump appeared to be pushing Kyiv towards capitulation.

"On the surface, this looks really bad," Merezhko told Reuters.

A longer-term halt to US military aid makes the battlefield situation more difficult for Ukraine, though it would take time to take effect.