US aid suspension and Europe’s $800 billion rearmament plan: March 4 highlights

US aid suspension

Bloomberg and CNN, citing unnamed Pentagon and White House officials, reported that President Donald Trump has suspended all U.S. aid to Ukraine, including assistance authorized by his predecessor, Joe Biden. The White House has not issued an official statement confirming this decision.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that as of the evening of March 3, U.S. military aid was still arriving.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed Ukrainian officials to contact their American counterparts to seek official clarification on the reported suspension of military support.

The European Commission presented a plan for "rearming Europe"

Following reports of the U.S. aid halt, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the ReArm Europe plan, a $800 billion initiative to boost defense spending for Europe’s protection and continued support for Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced forthcoming updates from the European Commission about funding for Europe’s defense, emphasizing that for Ukraine, this primarily means additional air defense systems and missiles.

Soldier forced to sleep at bus station over military discount denial

A wounded Ukrainian soldier receiving treatment in the Zakarpattya Oblast was denied a discounted bus ticket, forcing him to spend the night at a bus station in Uzhhorod. The regional commissioner’s representative took personal oversight of the case, and it was reported to Ukraine’s National Police and the State Service for Transport Safety (Ukrtransbezpeka).

Violations discovered in a children's home in Mykolaiv

The commissioner’s office uncovered multiple violations at a regional children’s home in Mykolaiv, including the use of expired medications and the practice of tying children needing special care to chairs.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine is ready for negotiations

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is prepared to “work fast” to end the war, proposing initial steps such as prisoner releases, a truce in the skies, and a ban on attacks targeting civilian infrastructure.

SBU charges Russian actor Okhlobystin

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has charged Ivan Okhlobystin, a Russian actor who promotes Russia’s war against Ukraine and calls for the killing of Ukrainians, in absentia. Investigators say he made direct appeals from a Moscow rally stage to continue Russia’s armed aggression, kill Ukrainians, and seize more Ukrainian territory.

Doctors removed a brain tumor while the patient was conscious

Doctors at St. Luke’s Hospital, part of Lviv’s First Medical Union, performed a “unique procedure” to remove a three-centimeter brain tumor while the patient remained conscious. The surgery successfully preserved the patient’s speech and motor functions, and he was discharged a week later with positive progress.

Russian propagandists invented Umerov's deputy

Russian Telegram channels spread a fake video, allegedly produced by UNITED24 Media, featuring a supposed Ukrainian deputy defense minister thanking European partners for aid but claiming it is insufficient. UNITED24 Media did not create the video, and no deputy minister named Dmytro Marushchak exists.

€400,000 to be allocated for research into damage to the Chornobyl New Safe Confinement

A €400,000 grant from the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account’s administrative budget will fund research into damage sustained by the Chornobyl New Safe Confinement following a Russian attack.

Other news

• “No soldiers harmed.” The 157th Brigade denied reports of being at a Dnipropetrovsk Oblast training ground hit by an attack.
• Businessman Kostyantyn Zhevago’s assets were transferred to Ukraine’s Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) amid suspicions he embezzled $113 million.
• Stefania, Myroliub, and Artur-Bayraktar topped the list of names given to children during the war, according to Ukraine’s Justice Ministry.
• Utility operators can now reserve crews building resilient energy networks.
• Canada, Mexico, and China imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.