Marion PhelutOn 28 February 2025, the world was focused on Washington, where US President Donald Trump and his Vice-President J.D. Vance met in the White House Oval Office the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a tense atmosphere. What appeared to be a crucial diplomatic exchange quickly turned into a verbal confrontation. This public altercation, which was widely mediatised, brought to light deep divergences. Especially regarding the opinion of the President of the United States on the future of American support for Ukraine.
Since the clash, events have followed in quick succession, reshaping the balance of power on the international stage.
From the suspension of US military aid to European pressure for a ceasefire, this article looks back at the key events in this diplomatic showdown. For this, it will track the chronology of events over the last 10 days.
28th February: the breaking point?
The initial aim of the meeting was to reach an agreement on the exploitation of Ukrainian mineral resources by the United States, in exchange for ongoing US military aid. However, the discussion quickly turned hostile, with Donald Trump telling Volodymyr Zelensky: ‘You put yourself in this bad position. […] You don’t hold the cards right now’. Tensions rose when President Trump threatened to end all support for Ukraine: ‘You are playing with the lives of millions of people, you are playing with the World War Three’.
In response to this shock statement, the European heads of state met on 2 March to organise a collective response. The aim was to strengthen Europe’s military capacities and reduce its dependence on American support. At the end of the meeting, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, declared: ‘We need to put Ukraine back in a position of strength, with the means for Ukraine to protect itself’.
US aid suspended and Europe strikes back
On 4 March, tensions reached a new level when Donald Trump ordered the immediate suspension of US military aid to Ukraine. The aim of this decision being to force Kiev to accept a ceasefire without security guarantees. This brutal decision led Ursula von der Leyen, to unveil the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, an €800 billion programme designed to provide direct military aid to Ukraine and to strengthen the European Union Member States’ armies. The plan also included a relaxation of budgetary rules to allow European countries to take on debt for defence.
Responding to rising tensions, Volodymyr Zelensky proposed several measures to de-escalate the situation: an immediate maritime and air pact banning long-range missiles and drones on civilian and energy infrastructures, if Russia applies the same commitments. He also expressed his intention to sign the mining agreement with the United States, in exchange of security guarantees for his country.
On 6 March, the leaders of the EU-27 approved the ‘ReArm Europe’ plan. Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, stated: ‘Our decisions today send a clear message. We are putting our money where our mouth is’. A few days later, France announced a €195 million aid package for Ukraine, financed by interest on frozen Russian assets. Since the start of the conflict, the European Union has seized a total of €250 billion belonging to Russia, whose interest is now used to supply Ukraine with munitions and military equipment.
Trump’s reversal and hope of consensus
A week after the suspension of aid, the United States reversed its stance on 11 March. Following discussions between the two countries in Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump announced the immediate return of its military support to Ukraine. A 30-day ceasefire was proposed to Russia, including humanitarian measures such as the exchange of prisoners, the release of detained civilians and the return of Ukrainian children taken by force to Russia. However, Washington has strongly rejected the idea of Ukraine joining NATO, as Donald Trump believes this would complicate peace efforts with Moscow.
Two days later, on 13 March, Russian President Vladimir Poutine reacted, saying he was in favor of the ceasefire proposal, but imposing strict conditions. One of these regards the military situation in the Kursk region, which has been under Ukrainian occupation since the summer 2024. ‘There will be only two options for the Ukrainian forces in Kursk: surrender or die’, said Poutine, emphasising that Russia is waiting for solid guarantees before any agreement is reached.
To a fragile peace?
On 14 March, Donald Trump and Vladimir Poutine finally met to discuss the final terms of the ceasefire. At the same time, on Saturday 15 March, a virtual summit brought together several European countries, NATO, Canada and Australia to plan peacekeeping measures in case of an agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
As the negotiations continue, the international community remains on hold, ready to react to the decisions of Washington, Moscow and Kiev – even if the idea of a consensus on a peaceful balance remains fragile.
