Trump announces freeze on all international aid and withdrawal from UN Security Council, WHO

President Donald Trump declared a freeze on all federal hiring, new federal regulations, and international aid during a speech to Congress, broadcast by public broadcaster Suspilne.

"I imposed an immediate freeze on all federal hiring, a freeze on all new federal regulations and a freeze on all foreign aid," Trump said.

He also vowed to end the "green new scam" and the climate change deal, which he claimed cost the U.S. "trillions of dollars."

Trump announced a withdrawal from the "corrupt" World Health Organization (WHO) and the "anti-American" U.N. Human Rights Council.

"And I also withdrew from the anti-American UN Human Rights Council. We ended all of Biden's environmental restrictions that were making our country far less safe and totally unaffordable. And importantly, we ended the last administration's insane electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto workers and companies from economic destruction," he said.

On the morning of March 4, U.S. media reported Trump decided to pause military aid to Ukraine.

Later, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said signals from the border and the Jasionka hub confirmed the U.S. stance.

Vice President J.D. Vance said aid could resume if Ukraine joins peace talks.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called the aid freeze a temporary "pause."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed his defense minister, intelligence chief, and diplomats to contact the United States for official details on the aid suspension.