US Vice President JD Vance has stated that stopping funding for Ukraine is one of the proudest things he has done since entering government. According to Vance, the US has withdrawn support for Ukraine that was in place under Joe Biden, telling Europe that if they want to buy weapons they can, but the United States is not buying weapons and sending them to Ukraine anymore. He expressed pride in this decision, expecting European nations to shoulder the financial burden for weapons. Vance recounted an incident at a Senate event where a Ukrainian American became agitated over his stance, but he maintained his position, saying he still believes in this approach and is proud of the administration's decision to tell Europe to buy weapons itself while the US stops sending them to Ukraine.
As the US withdraws support, European and Ukrainian efforts to bolster defense have intensified. Ukraine secured new defense agreements, with President Volodymyr Zelensky signing a deal with Norway for drone production, though the exact terms and timeline remain unclear. Britain announced a £752 million payment and a package of 120,000 drones to Ukraine, signaling a concerted push to fill the gap left by American disengagement. The current status and impact of the US decision to stop buying weapons for Ukraine on the battlefield are not yet fully known.
It was during a Senate event that I had done, where I had somebody who came up to me, and I'm sure a great person, it was a Ukrainian American, and this person got really agitated at me because I was saying we should stop funding the Ukraine war. And I still believe that, obviously, and it's one of the things I'm proudest that we've done as an administration, is we've told Europe if you want to buy weapons you can, but the United States is not buying weapons and sending them to Ukraine any more.
In Hungary, a political shift is underway as Péter Magyar, the incoming prime minister, pledged to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Kremlin distanced itself from the outgoing Hungarian leader, Viktor Orban, marking a notable realignment in regional diplomacy.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces demonstrated advanced drone warfare, retaking territory solely with unmanned machines and deploying 'Hornet'-type suicide drones with automated targeting systems. However, Russia launched a major overnight attack on Ukraine with over 300 drones and three ballistic missiles, causing injuries and damage, highlighting the ongoing intensity of the conflict.
What the president has said is that this is the most difficult war to resolve. In some ways we thought it would be the easiest, but it has been the most difficult.
The Kremlin justified mobile internet shutdowns in Russia due to 'security considerations', without specifying the exact reasons behind these measures. Amid these developments, Vice President Vance says the US will continue to work for an end to the war in Ukraine, but acknowledges it is a demanding job. Vance insists there has been 'significant progress' in ending the Ukraine war, which has lasted over four years, though what specific progress has been made remains unspecified. How the US will continue to work for an end to the war, given the withdrawal of weapons funding, is also unclear.