Zelensky backs down - sort of.

Last night

UPDATED 8:27 PM EST -- President Trump Ordered a "Pause" to all Military Aid to Ukraine

At 7:27 PM eastern US time today, 03 March 2025, President Donald Trump ordered a "Pause" to all United States military aid going to Ukraine.

It is not yet clear if this "pause" applies to aid that was promised under Biden, but has not yet shipped.

It is also not clear if this "pause" in "aid" includes US Reconnaissance, Intelligence, Satellite information, encrypted communications, STARLINK, or other "soft" assistance.

It appears this may be the Coup de grâce for Ukraine. Without US military supplies, their army cannot continue on the battlefield more than a week or two.

(Coup de grâce is a French phrase that means "blow of mercy" or "stroke of grace". It's used to describe a death blow that ends the suffering of an animal or person who is severely injured. It can also refer to a decisive or finishing stroke.)

UPDATE 8:20 PM EST --

NATO is logistically weak — so weak that Trump could shut down not just U.S. deliveries, but most of Europe’s.

The U.S. provides most of NATO’s airlift, sealift, fuel, and coordination.

Even Europe’s rail and roads can’t handle heavy armor. Without U.S. logistics NATO will grinds to a halt.

UPDATE 8:27 PM EST --

It is now CONFIRMED: All U.S. military "aid" which is not already inside Ukraine, is PAUSED, including weapons and ammunition which is in-transit or on ships or planes, or waiting in transit areas in Poland or Romania. EVERYTHING IS PAUSED.

Based on information that I have from various sources, Ukraine's Army will grind to a halt almost immediately.

Today

Hours After Trump Paused All Arms To Ukraine, Zelensky Reportedly Ready To Sign Minerals Deal Under 'Trump's Strong Leadership'

Update(1425ET): Is President Trump going to announce 'mission accomplished' on the Ukraine minerals deal during tonight's speech before a joint session of Congress? A breaking Reuters headline strongly suggests this is the case:

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and Ukraine plan to sign the much-debated minerals deal following a disastrous Oval Office meeting Friday in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was dismissed from the building, four people familiar with the situation said on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump has told his advisers that he wants to announce the agreement in his address to Congress Tuesday evening, three of the sources said, cautioning that the deal had yet to be signed and the situation could change.

But as we've seen in the last several days since Friday, a lot can happen in one afternoon. Zelensky gave an 'almost apology' on Tuesday (below), but not quite what the administration seems to be asking for.

As of yet, "It was unclear if the deal has changed," Reuters notes. "The deal that was to be signed last week included no explicit security guarantees for Ukraine but gave the U.S. access to revenues from Ukraine's natural resources. It also envisaged the Ukrainian government contributing 50% of future monetization of any state-owned natural resources to a U.S.-Ukraine managed reconstruction investment fund."

A key caveat... we've seen these trial positive news balloons prematurely floated before:

This is all happening less than 24 hours after the Trump White House ordered an end to military aid to Ukraine, or at least a "pause". Zelensky has meanwhile declared he's ready to move forward under Trump's "strong leadership" - but we're unlikely to ultimately know for sure until Trump's address tonight. And then there's the question of if there will be a final signing ceremony, or if both sides have finally agreed to all the details, such as Zelensky's demanded strong security guarantees.

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Trump wants an explicit public apology from Zelensky - that's according to Fox White House correspondent Peter Doocy, who described the following on Monday...

"Nothing is gonna happen with this minerals deal until Zelensky goes in front of cameras and makes an explicit public apology for the way he behaved in the Oval Office with that meeting," Doocy said in a live broadcast from the White House lawn. President Zelensky on Tuesday is reiterating he's "ready" to sign the minerals deal with the US.

AFP/Getty Images

This is because in the wake of the disastrous Zelensky visit, "there's now quite a disconnect happening here at the White House with their allies in Kiev."

As for the requirement of a recorded apology by Zelensky to make amends, Doocy said he was specifically "told by a senior official" in the Trump administration.

President Zelensky himself had this weekend said he still hopes for "constructive dialogue" with Washington and has expressed willingness to still sign the agreement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had just hours after Zelensky left the White House Friday advised the Ukrainian leader to apologize "for wasting our time" and for "turning this thing into the fiasco for him that it became." Zelensky has still not done so. There are these 'regret' statements issues from his office Tuesday:

• the way the White House meeting turned out was regrettable

• Kyiv ready to work under 'Trump's strong leadership' for peace: Zelensky

• Zelensky says wants to 'make things right' with Trump

“My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” Zelenskiy said Tuesday on X. “The first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same.” Below is Zelensky's full, latest public statement:

GOP Congressional leaders are meanwhile still holding out hope that a deal will be reached. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said he's confident a minerals deal will still "be signed in short order."

Watch Fox's Doocy explain what's required of Zelensky below, based on US admin officials...

Doocy: "I have been told by a senior official here that nothing is gonna happen with this minerals deal until Zelenskyy goes in front of cameras and makes an explicit public apology for the way he behaved in the Oval Office with that meeting." pic.twitter.com/y3IzXIXdLh

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 3, 2025

"We are 100% getting this train back on the tracks," Fitzpatrick wrote on X on Monday. "This mineral deal will be signed in short order, which will lead to a strong long-term economic partnership between the United States and Ukraine, and which will ultimately and naturally lead to security assistance."

But it sounds like from the White House's perspective a lot will be determined by Zelensky's actions in the coming days. Here's what US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CNN on Sunday: "it’s unclear whether President Zelensky, particularly after what we saw on Friday, is ready to transition Ukraine to an end to this war, and to negotiate and have to compromise." Waltz then said that "we need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war" - in remarks that hinted at regime change in Kiev.

* * *

Is a full-on apology coming?...

Via X: The Right To Bear Memes