Russian invasion

The fighting
Ukrainian sniper's anger: "The US has sided with the dark"

The announcement that the US is freezing its support has shocked Ukraine. This is reported by the Kyiv Independent, which interviewed a number of Ukrainian citizens in various public functions.

A sniper whom the newspaper calls "Bart" and who is participating in the intense fighting near Pokrovsk in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine tells the newspaper that he is "full of anger".

- The US has sided with Russia, North Korea and Iran. They have sided with the dark, he says, adding that if the US has now chosen the role of world policeman, it is the country's duty to defend democracy.

Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Krotevych states that air defense will be the biggest challenge:

- We have to find an alternative, quickly. If our bombs run out, civilians will die.

Neither the US nor Ukraine has yet officially confirmed that the aid has been frozen.

The world's response
Poland: Sees at the border that US aid has ended

Information from the Polish border confirms that the US has stopped deliveries to Ukraine, says Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk according to AFP.

- We have no reason to believe that it is just empty talk, he says.

The reports come from the logistics center that Poland has set up to coordinate the import of aid to Ukraine across the country's border, according to Tusk.

So far, there has been no official confirmation from the US, but a long list of media outlets have received the information from high-ranking sources in the White House. The Trump administration has not denied it either.

EU wants to invest almost 9,000 billion on defense: "An era of rearmament"

The EU wants to free up almost 800 billion euros, equivalent to 8854 billion kronor, for defense investments. This is reported by TT.

- We are in an era of rearmament. Europe is ready to massively increase its defense spending, says Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

This will be done by easing the EU's strict budget rules so that member states do not risk fines and savings requirements for defense investments. The Commission is also proposing a new EU fund where 150 billion euros will be opened up for defense loans.

In this way, the countries can immediately and sharply step up support for Ukraine, according to von der Leyen.

Australia opens up for troops to Ukraine

Australia is open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of an international force, says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese according to The Guardian.

- From my government's point of view, we are ready to consider all proposals, because Australia has historically played an important role in several peacekeeping areas.

Australia is guarding Ukraine's right to defend its sovereignty, and does not want to see Putin's imperialist ambitions rewarded, Albanese adds.

He emphasizes that there are no concrete proposals for peacekeepers on the table at the moment.

Ukraine's response
Zelenskyy's advisor: We've done without American weapons before

President Zelenskyy's advisor Mykhailo Podoljak comments on the paused American aid in a post on X.

First, it must now be clarified which specific arms aid programs are being stopped – some are already in the final stages and have legal support through congressional decisions, Podoljak writes.

Second, it must now be investigated which weapons can be obtained or purchased from European countries, he continues.

"Third, let's not forget that Ukraine has already experienced prolonged pauses in American military aid, and we have learned to adapt to such situations."

Between the summer of 2023 and the spring of 2024, Joe Biden's aid package was stopped in the US Congress.

Ukraine is now taking a careful inventory of what it has in stock, and does not rule out negotiations with the US, Podoljak writes.

Prime Minister: Continuing to work diplomatically with the US

Ukraine is still ready to sign a mineral agreement with the US, says the country's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal according to Reuters.

- We continue diplomatic work with the US through all channels [...] We will do everything to ensure that cooperation continues as it has, he says.

Ukraine also continues to try to attract financing for domestic arms production, Shmyhal continues. At the moment, it covers 30 percent of the need.

At the moment, Ukraine has enough equipment to hold the front lines, and enough liquidity to finance the army and hold positions for the rest of the year, says the Prime Minister.

Voices on the Ukraine war
Experts: Europe can catch up with Russia

With the right measures and investments, Europe could match Russia militarily even if the US withdraws from the continent, according to experts TT spoke to.

– If we were to compare Europe as a whole with Russia and stack the personnel and equipment next to each other, it looks pretty good for Europe, says defense economist Per Olsson at the Swedish Defense Research Institute (FOI).

The problem is rather that Russia as an individual country has an easier time coordinating its forces than Europe as a continent, especially if Europe does not have the intelligence and command capabilities of the US, according to Olsson.

Another problem for Europe is managing the supply of personnel in the defense sector, according to Kjell Engelbrekt, professor of political science at the Swedish National Defense University.

However, with government guarantees, he believes that Europe, which has a GDP several times larger than Russia, can scale up operations more quickly.

Analysis: Trump may forget the peace prize – treats the victim worse than the perpetrator

In six weeks, the US has gone from being Ukraine's strongest ally to becoming Russia's best friend. But despite Donald Trump trying to portray himself as an impartial mediator between the countries, he has not yet made any demands on Vladimir Putin, Aftonbladet's Wolfgang Hansson reminds us in an analysis:

"Trump makes no difference between the aggressor and the victim. In fact, he treats the victim much worse than the aggressor."

SvD's Therese Larsson Hultin notes that Trump has often complained that he has not yet received the Nobel Peace Prize. Now he will probably have to continue waiting for one:

"It is obvious that it is more important for Donald Trump to save face and deliver on his election promise to end the war in Ukraine than what consequences a possible peace might have," she writes.