Image source, Getty Images

More international reaction is coming in now, as Europe wakes up to the news that US President Donald Trump has paused US military aid to Ukraine.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala says Trump's decision "highlights the urgent need for a fundamental shift in Europe's current policy".

In a post on X, he writes that Europe "must strengthen our economic and military capabilities and take full responsibility for our own security".

This requires more defence spending and increased support for Ukraine, Fiala says.

"We cannot allow Russia’s aggressive policy, which threatens us all, to succeed. The era of relying on others to address fundamental international challenges on our behalf is over. Now is the time for Europe to move decisively from words to action."

Image source, PA Media

The UK's opposition leader has described the US decision to pause aid to Ukraine as "profoundly worrying".

Writing on X, Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservatives, says the announcement means it is "clear that Britain and Europe must re-arm much faster if we want to provide Ukraine with more than just warm words of support".

She adds: "We must work to keep America in, and Russia out."

Image source, Reuters

New EU plans to strengthen Europe's defence industry and increase military capabilities could mobilise close to 800 billion euros, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has just said.

Speaking at a news conference today, she says Europe is "ready to step up" on defence, adding the EU will propose to give member states more fiscal space for defence investments, as well as 150 billion euros in loans for those investments, and will aim to mobilise private capital as well.

"We are in an era of rearmament, and Europe is massively ready to boost its defence spending, both to respond to the short-term urgency to act and to support Ukraine, but also to address the long-term need to take on more responsibility for our own European security."

Ahead of the announcement, Von der Leyen said: "We need a massive surge in defence, without any question. We want lasting peace, but lasting peace can only be built on strength, and strength begins with strengthening ourselves."

US aid pause piles more pressure on Europepublished at 08:33 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March

08:33 GMT 4 March

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Image source, Getty Images

First reaction to Trump's pause on aid to Ukraine came from France's Europe minister, Benjamin Haddad, who said a lasting peace deal could only come from security guarantees. The US move would make peace more remote, he said on French TV, "because it would only strengthen the hand of the aggressor on the ground - Russia.

"Pressure has to be put on the aggressor, which is Russia," he said.

The US doesn't appear to see it that way and Europe as a whole is feeling the chill from this new stance on Ukraine and Russia. Can Europe step up its own aid for Ukraine and bolster arms production and spending when its long-term ally is no longer seen as completely reliable?

An EU emergency summit in Brussels in two days' time is designed to address exactly that, where European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is set to propose a comprehensive plan.

And we'll get a first taste this morning when she will speak about a "massive surge in defence", building on the EU's current mantra "peace through strength".

European defence spending increased by 11.7% last year, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, but Europe is heavily reliant on US capabilities. But it's still half as much as the $968bn (£760bn) spent by the US.

The challenge is not just in boosting spending but in getting EU countries to co-ordinate what they buy.

Rayner is then asked about what it's like for the UK to deal with Donald Trump.

Rayner says that US President Donald Trump is a "different politician" to the UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

But, she says, Starmer is able to have "constructive dialogue" with Trump and he has a "huge amount of integrity".

And with that, the interview moves on to other topics.

Rayner is again pressed on giving her view on the White House's announcement.

She again declines to answer directly, instead outlining the UK's and Europe's support for Ukraine.

"The prime minister will not conduct dialogue on open airwaves," Rayner says.

The US has "consistently" said it wants peace in Ukraine, she adds, and says they are the "closest of allies".

The UK's prime minister "won't choose between US and Europe" and he is working to bring the US to the table, Rayner adds.

Sir Keir Starmer continues to speak to Trump, she says.

Rayner tells the BBC she thinks Russia's President Vladimir Putin will see that "Europe is stepping up" on providing Ukraine more support.

She says UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is "laser focused" on getting peace and won't be derailed by announcements.

When pressed on what she thinks about the US announcement, she sidesteps the question directly, saying Europe has stepped up its support.

She is asked again about the move: "That is a matter for US... we are focused on supporting Ukraine, bringing US around the table."

UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner tells the BBC that the prime minister has been "really clear" that "we have to have peace".

This has to be brought about with allies in US and Europe, and needs security guarantee, she says.

She says the government has stepped up its support for Ukraine "over the last couple of days", and Sir Keir Starmer is "making sure that we get to that resolution".

She says there is "common ground" with the US, as Rayner says she believes Trump wants peace.

The US has been "really clear that they want to see Europe step up as well", Rayner says.

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

There's been shock and dismay in Ukraine following Washington's move to halt weapons supplies.

"This is a catastrophe, and we saw it coming," MP Oleksiy Honcharenko says. He argues, however, that "not all is lost" and Ukraine must "fight for peace, not capitulation".

"Roosevelt and Churchill are turning in their graves. America has sided with the global evil," activist and blogger Yuri Kasyanov says.

MP Volodymyr Aryev calls the move a "very painful blow to our defence".

Journalist Taras Buzak says: "Trump is an open Kremlin agent, what improvement in relations can we talk about?"

Blogger Leonid Shvets writes: "Thank you America! You have gone mad."

Image source, Reuters

The UK's Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is appearing on the BBC's Today programme in the next couple of minutes, where she's sure to be asked about the US's pause in military aid.

You can listen on BBC Radio 4 - or follow along by pressing watch live above.

Expect nothing but praise from Russiapublished at 08:02 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March

08:02 GMT 4 March

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

Russia benefits from this pause the most, and America’s allies are hit the hardest.

Ukraine has weapons stocks in the country, but they will be running out fast, and domestic arms production will not be able to replace US-made weaponry either in quantity or quality.

Western countries still supporting Ukraine will be under enormous pressure to come up with a quick solution.

In the meantime, expect nothing but praise from the daily press briefing from the Kremlin in a few hours.

Russian forces have slowly expanded the amount of territory they control over the past year, mostly in the east of Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces have made those advances as slow and difficult as possible and have staged a counter-offensive into Russian territory.

The map below shows the territory seized by Russia in the east of Ukraine. Donetsk city and parts of the wider region in eastern Ukraine were first seized by Russian-backed forces in 2014, and the area has been partially controlled by Moscow ever since.

Our visual summary of the war in Ukraine gives a closer look on how the frontlines of the war have changed after three years of fighting.

A former Ukrainian deputy defence minister has insisted that Europe can fill the gap in military aid left by the US.

Volodymyr Harvylov, who served in the role between 2022 and 2023, says Europe is “on the rise” and can supply Ukraine with “arms and most of the everyday needs”.

“Europe will be capable to support Ukraine instead of US,” he tells Radio 4’s Today programme.

He stresses that Ukraine is “very grateful” for the US aid received between 2022 and 2024 and that communication with the Trump administration will continue “on all levels”.

Harvylov adds that Ukraine will discuss with its European allies how to source the “sophisticated systems” that currently only the US can deliver.

Ukraine’s American lifeline blocked once morepublished at 07:32 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March

07:32 GMT 4 March

James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv

For Ukraine, this amounts to the blocking of a major artery keeping it alive.

Close to its western border with Poland, there are frequent, police-escorted convoys of military aid which crawl their way to the front-lines - a lifeline of armour and ammunition for exhausted troops.

The White House’s decision immediately blocks American supplies waiting to cross over, in a potentially lethal turning off a tap.

The last time this happened, because of political disagreements in the US congress, President Zelensky said Ukraine lost lives and land directly as a result.

The once-fortress eastern town of Avdiivka notably fell to Russian forces early last year.

There are unanswered questions over whether Ukraine will still receive ammunition for American weapons already delivered, or whether Washington will continue to share intelligence with Kyiv.

“President Trump is hanging Ukrainians out to dry and giving Russia the green light to keep marching west," says one Ukrainian advocacy group.

Presidents Trump and Zelensky both want peace. One wants it quickly and the other with military assurances.

These contrasting definitions are a sticking point of significant proportions.

As we've been reporting, the US is by far the biggest individual donor of military aid to Ukraine, providing weapons, equipment and financial support.

Between the start of 2022 and the end of 2024, it gave $69bn (£54.6bn) in military aid, according to German think tank the Kiel Institute, external.

Here's a look at how this compares with other top donors:

Image source, State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Ukraine's Air Force says 99 drones were launched into the country by Russia overnight.

In a post on Telegram it says Odesa, Sumy and Donetsk "suffered as a result of the attack", adding that in total 65 drones were shot down and 32 were lost.

The State Emergency Service says multiple people were injured and several fires broke out in Odesa, damaging "critical infrastructure" and buildings. Energy firm Dtek says one of its facilities in Odesa was damaged, but they are restoring power to civilians.

In Sumy, a children's medical facility was struck, the State Emergency Service says, but nobody was injured.

As we mentioned in our last post, we've yet to hear directly from US President Donald Trump about the pause in military aid to Ukraine, but here's a little bit more on what the White House said overnight.

The White House told the BBC's US partner, CBS, that Trump "has been clear" that he is "focused on peace", adding "we need our partners to be committed to that goal as well".

"We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution," the White House added.

Bloomberg and Fox News, who were briefed by administration officials, reported that the pause will last until President Zelensky can show Washington that he is "committed to peace".

The Trump administration is also considering cutting back on intelligence sharing with Kyiv, according to CNN.

Image source, Reuters

The key players in the Ukraine war have not yet responded to the White House's announcement overnight that the US is pausing military aid to Ukraine.

Donald Trump himself hasn't commented on the news, and as it's just gone 02:00 in Washington we're unlikely to hear from him for at least several hours.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has not commented yet, either, nor has Russia.

Eyes will also be looking to Nato, the EU, Keir Starmer and other European leaders.

The UK Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is being interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme at 08:10 - we'll bring you her comments live.

Can Europe fill gap left by US's pause in military aid?published at 07:00 Greenwich Mean Time 4 March

07:00 GMT 4 March

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided almost half of all military spending in Ukraine.

Prior to last night's announcement, the BBC's Nick Eardley looked at the level of support the US has offered to Ukraine so far and what it would take for Europe to fill the gap if Washington paused or ended its support.

He explains that to do this every other country contributing would have to roughly double its military support.

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Just like many of us, Sir Keir Starmer and other senior figures in the UK government will be waking up to the news about the US’s suspension of military aid to Ukraine.

It is unquestionably a significant decision, but don’t expect it to mean the UK alters its approach.

Senior government sources this morning are stressing that the UK will continue to work intensively to try to bring Presidents Trump and Zelensky back together, while doing what it can to put Ukraine in the strongest possible military position.

In that respect, all that President Trump’s announcement does is make all the issues that Starmer has been working on over the past week or so more urgent and more acute.

But it is also another reminder of how serious this situation is, and how distant the entire frame through which President Trump views this war is from that of America’s traditional allies.