Donald Trump has put US military aid to Ukraine on “pause” after clashing with Volodymyr Zelenskyy last Friday.

The US president attacked his Ukrainian counterpart last week when Zelenskyy was visiting the White House, telling him he had “no cards” left to play, that he was ungrateful for the military aid the US has given to Kyiv, and that he was gambling with “World War III”.

Overnight, a White House official said Trump is now focused on reaching a peace deal to end the war – which was sparked by Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine three years ago, but which the US president has falsely blamed Ukraine for.

According to AP News, an anonymous official said the US was “pausing and reviewing” its aid to Ukraine to “ensure that it is contributing a solution”.

The official said Trump wants to make sure Zelenskyy is “committed” to that goal.

Trump claimed last Friday that Zelenskyy’s visit had proved he was “not ready” for peace, because the Ukrainian president thought having the US in his corner would give him the upper-hand.

The order will reportedly remain in place until Trump believes Ukraine has demonstrated a commitment to peace talks with Russia.

Trump last held up assistance to Ukraine five years ago, during his first term, when he wanted Zelenskyy to launch an investigation into then Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The incident triggered Trump’s first impeachment.

The US president’s aid decision comes after he slammed Zelenskyy for saying on Monday that he believed the end of the war “is still very very far away” because it will be difficult to secure a just and sustainable peace.

Trump, who is keen to end the war sooner rather than later, responded by saying: “This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!”

Vice-president JD Vance told Fox News on Monday evening: “A lot of our European friends puff him up.

“They say, you know, you’re a freedom fighter. You need to keep fighting forever. Well, fighting forever with what? With whose money, with whose ammunition and with whose lives?”

Zelenskyy is also being asked to sign a deal to share Ukraine’s mineral wealth to repay some of the military aid from the US.

But, Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Monday that Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House put talks over potentially sharing Ukraine’s mineral wealth “up in the air”.

“Is he ready, personally, politically, to move his country towards an end to the fight And can he and will he make the compromises necessary?” Waltz said.