NEW DELHI: A White House official reportedly said that President Donald Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine on Monday (Mar 3), a move that will escalate tensions between Washington and Kyiv and its European allies. 

"The President has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well," a White House official told the news agency AFP while speaking on the condition of anonymity. 
"We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution," the official added. 

The decision comes a few days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's extraordinary clash with Trump at the White House, which displayed a shift in policy and alliances on the Russia- Ukraine war. 
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky turned out to be a disaster as the two leaders clashed in an exchange that played out before the world's media. 

Zelensky also left without a minerals deal, which would have been a significant step towards a US-brokered peace between Ukraine and Russia to end their war that has dragged on for more than three years. 

Trump's orders coincided with reports of a Russian drone attack on Ukraine, which was said to have damaged energy infrastructure in the Black Sea port of Odesa on Monday (Mar 3). The attack led to power cuts in the city and knocked out heating systems. 
Video from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine showed fires burning, cars damaged and debris littering the ground. 

"A strike has damaged energy infrastructure. There are power cuts now in parts of the city," regional Governor Oleh Kiper wrote on Telegram. 
Odesa Mayor Hennady Trukhanov said the attack had knocked out three boiler plants, prompting officials to scramble to find alternative power sources to restore heating to city residents.