We've just learned that the US will pause military aid to Ukraine.

Earlier today, US President Donald Trump said that he had not "talked about" suspending military aid to Ukraine following his angry exchange in the Oval Office with Volodymyr Zelensky.

But he added that "we'll see what happens".

You can watch some of his comments from that press conference in the video above.

As we've just reported, the White House has announced the US will pause military aid for Ukraine.

The development was first reported by US outlet Bloomberg.

"The US is pausing all current military aid to Ukraine until Trump determines the country’s leaders demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace," Bloomberg reports.

Neither the Pentagon, nor President Donald Trump, have commented so far.

Bloomberg adds that all US military equipment not currently in Ukraine would be paused, including weapons in transit and at depots in Poland.

We're restarting our live coverage as the White House announces that the US will pause military aid for Ukraine.

"The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. 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," a White House official has told the BBC's US partner, CBS News.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest.

Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, EPA

As UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to firm up the four-point plan to bring "lasting peace" to Ukraine, the fallout between Kyiv and Washington continues.

Starmer told a packed Parliament today that resolving the war in Ukraine will be the “test of our times”.

Meanwhile, the feud between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump rumbled on this afternoon. The US president said Zelensky's suggestion that peace is still “very, very far away” was the “worst statement” he could have made.

Zelensky, meanwhile, maintains that “peace is needed as soon as possible”. Starmer told Parliament that he believes Trump wants this too.

This evening, Trump once again repeated that Zelensky should be "more appreciative" of US support for his country.

On a minerals deal with Ukraine, Trump told reporters he doesn't think it is "dead in the water".

For now, we’re closing our live coverage of Ukraine, but you can keep up to date with our news story or tune in to our dedicated Panorama special on BBC iPlayer.

Chris Mason
Political editor

As we have seen before, there is no word from Downing Street in response to President Trump’s remarks in the last few hours about Ukraine, Europe and the summit held in London on Sunday.

They have decided they won’t be triggered — in public at least — by Donald Trump’s penchant for volcanic invective on social media.

Instead Keir Starmer makes clear that America is invaluable to the UK, in his view, and President Trump is a reliable ally.

But presidential outbursts, as unsurprising as they may be, make Starmer’s room for diplomatic manoeuvre narrower.

Meanwhile the prime minister is trying - alongside France - to assemble a a viable plan for a ceasefire, hoping it might be substantial enough for the White House to then provide the additional support for Ukraine that Europe think will be necessary.

But the gap between Europe and America is wide — could it be unbridgeable?

Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent

There is no evidence at all that the tension between Washington and Kyiv has dialled down after President Zelensky was kicked out of the White House last week.

President Trump and his top advisers have continued to harshly criticise the war-time leader even suggesting he should stand down.

After Zelensky told reporters over the weekend the war “is still very, very far away", Trump described it as “the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky", going onto say that "America will not put up with it for much longer!”

However, Trump also says he doesn't think a minerals deal is dead and he'd have more to say on Tuesday night - this is when he makes his address to Congress.

• As a reminder, Zelensky has previously told the BBC he is still "ready" to sign a minerals deal with the US. Here's everything you need to know about that agreement

Frank Gardner
Security correspondent

Donald Trump likes to say that he doesn't start wars, he stops them.

The last thing he wants to do right now is to commit US combat troops and air power to a notional unstable ceasefire line which has the potential to erupt into a shooting war that drags in Nato forces.

Instead, he has telegraphed his preferred way to end this war, which is to cut a deal direct with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one-on-one.

Sir Keir's aim is for Europe to come up with a credible ceasefire proposal which can then be presented to President Trump in the hope - and I would emphasise that word "hope" - that he then agrees to provide a US military backstop.

So far, that looks unlikely.

• Read more from Frank Gardner: What are the hurdles to Europe's peace plan for Ukraine?

US President Donald Trump says he hasn't "talked about" suspending military aid to Ukraine following his angry exchange in the Oval Office with Volodymyr Zelensky, but "we'll see what happens".

Speaking at a press conference, Trump also says Zelensky should "be more appreciative".

He adds that the Ukrainian president "better not be right" that the end of the war is "very, very far away".

Any agreement for peace, the president says, should be reached with Russia and Ukraine, with "assent and consent" from Europe and the US.

But "maybe somebody doesn't want to make a deal", he says, and if they don't they "won't be around for very long".

He adds he believes both Russia and the Ukrainian people want an agreement made.

Trump also says he will give an update on the US-proposed rare minerals deal he and Zelensky were originally slated to sign last Friday.

The Ukrainecast team are back in the studio. This time, they’re assessing whether Sir Keir Starmer can persuade Donald Trump to provide a US backstop in Ukraine.

Presenters Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko are joined by military expert Matthew Savill to discuss whether there is still a path to peace.

• Listen to the episode in full over on BBC Sounds

What will the £1.6bn scheme cost the UK?published at 19:31 Greenwich Mean Time 3 March

19:31 GMT 3 March

By Anthony Reuben

Keir Starmer referred in Parliament earlier to his partnership with Ukraine, which “allows them to use £1.6bn of UK Export Finance to buy 5,000 air defence missiles manufactured in Belfast”., external

It may not cost the UK any money at all.

The government is providing an export finance guarantee, which means that Ukraine approaches a bank to borrow the money, but will be able to do so more easily and cheaply because the loan is backed by the UK government.

Ukraine then takes the money and uses it to buy missiles from Thales in Belfast.

The deal will not cost the UK taxpayer any money unless there is a payment default by Ukraine. If that does happen, we do not know what the effect will be because the commercial details of the guarantee have not been disclosed.

Image source, PA Media

In case you missed it, we've compiled the key takeaways from Starmer's earlier statement in the House of Commons.

Following his summit on Ukraine on Sunday, Starmer warns that the UK is facing the "test of our times" and reiterates his plans to increase defence spending to 2.7% of GDP by 2027.

On the row that erupted in the Oval Office on Friday between the US President and his Ukrainian counterpart, the prime minister acknowledges that "nobody wants to see that". He stresses that taking sides between Europe and the US is a "totally unserious" notion.

Starmer also made it clear that he believes Donald Trump's wish for peace is "sincere".

As for his "coalition of the willing", Starmer says it would be guided by four principles, and admits that not every country will sign up.

When questioned by a Labour MP on the position of his Russian counterpart, Starmer says that "Putin does feast on division", and stresses the importance of maintaining a united front.

We're briefly turning our attention back to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who says "British jobs, British skills, and British finance will pull together for our national interest".

As a reminder, we earlier heard the prime minister provide updates in the House of Commons, we'll bring you the key takeaways from his statement in our next post.

Taking to X, Starmer says the UK will endeavour to "put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for peace".

"Economic security is national security," he adds.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Mike Waltz stopped and delivered extremely brief remarks, only taking two questions while walking.

Asked about reports that Trump is meeting with advisors to discuss withdrawing aid to Ukraine, Waltz said only that they’re meeting to discuss “what’s next”.

He ignored repeated questions about whether a total withdrawal of assistance is on the table.

With regards to European and British proposals on a ceasefire, Waltz said that “we welcome the Europeans taking a lead in European security”.

“That’s been an underpinning. They have to invest in the capability to do that. They’ve certainly shown a will. Both Starmer and Macron showed that will last week before Friday,” he said.

“We also had the NATO Secretary-General on the phone with the president before President Zelensky came.. We welcome Europe stepping up for Europe, but they have to also invest in the capabilities to do so.”

He continued: “All of that was evident was before Friday, and he [Zelensky] could have been left with economic guarantees that benefited Ukraine….it’s really confounding to us why we had such hostility coming in.”

Image source, Reuters

We've just heard from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who says it is very important for his country to create "substantive" diplomacy to "end this war".

In a post on X, he says other steps towards peace are set to "come soon" and that "Ukrainians want peace most because the war ruins our cities and towns. We lose our people".

He adds: "We need to stop the war and to guarantee security. We are working together with America and our European partners and very much hope for US support on the path to peace.

"Peace is needed as soon as possible."

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

In a recent post to his social media platfotm Truth Social, US President Donald Trump has - again - accused Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky of standing in the way of potential peace negotiations.

"America will not put up with it for much longer," Trump wrote. "This guy [Zelensky] doesn't want there to be peace as long as he has America's backing."

Following the Oval Office meeting between Zelensky and Trump's team on Friday, several of the US president's political allies have suggested that they no longer see Zelensky as a viable US partner moving forward.

Just hours after the Oval Office meeting, for example, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he did not know "if we can ever do business with Zelensky again".

"He either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with," Graham added. "Or he needs to change."

Administration officials have, so far, provided little detail into what - if anything - Zelensky can do to redeem himself in the eyes of the White House.

Later today, Trump will reportedly meet with senior administration officials such as national security advisor Mike Waltz to discuss potential next steps on Ukraine.

The White House has so far not responded to various requests for comment from the BBC.

Earlier in the day, Waltz told Fox News that he believes the "American people's patience is not unlimited. Their wallets are not unlimited, and our stockpiles and munitions are not unlimited.

"So the time to talk is now."

We're heading away from the Commons now, as we've just seen a comment from US President Donald Trump.

He says that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement that peace is "still very, very far away” is the "worst statement" that he could have made.

"America will not put up with it for much longer!" Trump says in a recent post on his social media platform Truth Social, adding: "It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be peace as long as he has America’s backing".

He claims that Europe, in their meeting with Zelensky, "stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US".

"Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?" Trump adds.

Image source, BBC Parliament

More now from the Q&A with PM Starmer in the Commons.

Labour's Perran Moon asks Starmer whether he agrees that “Putin will feast on Western division” and that in this "delicate moment" every corner of the House continues to show a united front.

“Putin does feast on division,” Starmer says.

He adds that when he was leader of the opposition, one of the reasons he supported the then-government was because Putin would have been the “only winner” if there had been division.

He also commends the current opposition leader, Kemi Badenoch, for continuing this support.

Image source, BBC Parliament

Back in the Commons, Labour MP Johanna Baxter asks Starmer whether he agrees with her that for any lasting peace to be achieved in Ukraine “Russia must return the 19,556 children that they have stolen”.

Starmer says it’s a “moral outrage” that these children have been taken, adding “we must ensure their safe return” and that it must be part of any discussion. He thanks Baxter for bringing it up and adds they should do so more often.

• For context: The government in Kyiv estimates that at least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been deported, external and forcibly displaced from their homes to Russia and Russian-occupied territories since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, and of those only 388 have returned home

Image source, Getty Images

Away from the Commons, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken today with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy about the European leaders' summit held in London on Sunday, his office says.

A spokesperson says Rubio thanked Lammy “for the UK’s role in encouraging Europe to provide for its own defence and push for peace in Ukraine”.

Rubio also “confirmed the United States is ready to negotiate to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict and will continue working with the UK towards peace in Ukraine”, they say.

Image source, BBC Parliament

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly says he agrees with everything the prime minister has said today, adding that over the weekend he "hasn't put a foot wrong".

He says Starmer needs to go further, and that although he welcomes the small increase in defence spending, a "gear shift" is needed.

He says the UK needs to send a message to Ukraine and potential aggressors that it takes defence, defence of its values, and defence of its friends seriously.

The prime minister agrees, and says the world needs to see Parliament united.