Donald Trump could deactivate supplies of American F-35 fighter jets making their way to Germany at the push of a button known as a “kill switch”, officials fear.

Germany is set to receive 35 of the world’s most advanced fighter jets for €8.3 billion (£6.9 billion) next year in a deal with the US.

The ability of the US to flip a switch that would render them inoperable has long been the subject of speculation, but until now, it has not been proven.

But concern is mounting that Mr Trump might employ the same drastic action to enforce his political objectives on Ukraine.

This week, he froze military aid to Ukraine and paused intelligence-sharing to put pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, to convene peace talks with Russia and to sign a minerals deal with Washington.

On Saturday, reports surfaced that US-supplied F-16s had stopped working in Ukraine.

Though this was because of the suspension of critical support for radar systems rather than them being “switched off”, Joachim Schranzhofer, the head of communications at Hensoldt, the German arms company, told Germany’s Bild newspaper the “kill switch in the F-35 is more than just a rumour”.

On Friday, Switzerland’s department of defence denied reports suggesting the US could jam the F-35, and insisted that operators of the jet can use it “autonomously and independently at any time”.

Gen Frederik Vansina, Belgium’s chief of defence, said last week that the F-35 “is not a remote-controlled aircraft”.

European leaders have continued to rally around Mr Zelensky as Mr Trump takes an increasingly hard line against Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Wolfgang Ischinger, the former chairman of the Munich Security Conference, told Bild that Mr Trump’s loss of support for Ukraine bodes ill for Germany’s relationship with Washington on defence matters.

Mr Ischinger said: “If we should fear that the US would make the future German F-35 [jets] the same as they do in Ukraine now, then the issue of contract cancellation may be considered.”

The prospect of the US turning on Germany after the deal is complete will embolden those who have voiced concern over Europe’s growing reliance on the US for arms.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), around 55 per cent of arms imports by European states in 2019–23 were supplied by the US, up from 35 per cent in 2014–18.

Dan Smith, the director of Sipri, said: “More than half of arms imports by European states come from the USA.

“At the same time, Europe is responsible for about a third of global arms exports, including large volumes going outside the region, reflecting Europe’s strong military-industrial capacity.”

Maintaining Europe-US relations is one of the reasons why European Nato states’ decision to import from the US, he added.

Germany is in the midst of a historic boost to its defence in the event Russia expands its military aggression beyond Ukraine.

Rheinmetall, Europe’s top ammunition maker, said last week it would repurpose two plants currently turning out automotive parts to mostly make defence equipment.

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Johnson says Zelensky has done ‘about-face’ on mineral deal

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a radio interview that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has done a complete “about-face” on the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal that was not signed after a heated meeting between the two delegations late last month.

“I’m really grateful and glad that Zelensky, in the last several days, has done an about-face. He’s effectively apologized for all that. And he said, ‘Oh no, no, we would like that deal after all.’ I think he had a rude awakening,” Johnson said during his Saturday appearance on John Catsimatidis’s radio show “Cats Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM.

“I think a lot of the people in his country were upset with the way that was handled. Certainly we all were, but we’ve got to get him back to the table,” Johnson told Catsimatidis.

The minerals deal, which President Trump said would allow Washington to regain some of the assistance it had given to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion started three years ago while bolstering Kyiv’s economy, was slated to be signed by Zelensky during his Feb. 28 visit to the White House.

The agreement was not signed as Zelensky, Trump and Vice President Vance had several contentious exchanges over peace agreement negotiations. Zelensky argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin could not be a trustworthy negotiator during peace talks as he has gone back on previous ceasefires in Eastern Europe.

Trump and Vance contended that Zelensky was not grateful enough for the military assistance the U.S. has given to Ukraine and that Ukraine’s leader does not have very much leverage if negotiations ensue.

“You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country,” Trump said.

Zelensky said the U.S. has not experienced the consequences of the three-year conflict since it is far removed from the war-torn region, but that could be different in the future, prompting a forceful response from Trump.

“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” the commander in chief said. “We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.”

Shortly after the heated meeting, Zelensky said he would not apologize. Days later, he described the meeting as a “regrettable” gathering. Ukraine’s leader also wrote that he is ready to sign the minerals deal, arguing it would be a “step toward greater security and solid security guarantees.”

Johnson said during the radio interview that Trump was “excited” for Zelensky to sign the deal during the Feb. 28 meeting.

Since then, the U.S. halted aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, moves seen as a way to bring Zelensky back to the negotiating table.

Despite the late February back-and-forth, Washington is still optimistic that a deal for the minerals will be struck.

“The mineral deal is an important part of the president’s policy. No. 1, the American people have got to get some payback for the incredible financial investment we’ve made in this country,” Vance told reporters Tuesday while on Capitol Hill.

Backers of the deal said the agreement would provide Washington with a strong argument to defend Ukraine against potential future aggression from the Kremlin. Those who are critical of the bilateral agreement argue it equates to Washington extorting Kiev while also sidelining Zelensky from talks between Putin and Trump.

Johnson reiterated his view that if Zelensky cannot deliver the “deal for this country,” then Ukraine needs to “send a leader who can.”

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Trump says US has "just about" ended pause on Ukraine intel sharing

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States had "just about" ended a suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine, and that he expects good results out of upcoming talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.

Asked if he would consider ending the suspension, Trump said, "We just about have. We just about have."

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday the U.S. had halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine, piling pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to cooperate with Trump in convening peace talks with Russia.

The suspension, which could cost lives by hurting Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian missile strikes, followed a halt to U.S. military aid to Kyiv.

U.S. officials will meet on Tuesday with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia in part to determine whether Ukraine is willing to make material concessions to Russia to end the war. Also hanging over the talks in Jeddah is the fate of a minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv.

Trump expressed optimism about the talks. "We're going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week," he said.

Zelenskiy and Trump had been slated to sign the minerals accord - which would give the U.S. access to certain mineral resources in Ukraine - before Zelenskiy's White House visit erupted into a clash between the two leaders, after which it was not signed.

Trump said on Sunday he thought Ukraine would sign the minerals agreement, which Ukraine wants to contain a U.S. security guarantee.

"They will sign the minerals deal but I want them to want peace... They haven't shown it to extent they should," he said.

Trump also said his administration was looking at a variety of things with respect to tariffs on Russia and that administration officials are not concerned about military exercises involving Russia, China and Iran.

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What US, Russia and Europe are thinking ahead of fresh Ukraine talks

It's been another turbulent week in global politics.

The world digested the extraordinary exchange between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader visited European allies, who have sprung into action to beef up their defences. Russian bombs hit Ukraine.

But what are these major players thinking ahead of fresh US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia next week?

US: Rare criticism of Moscow, as Trump opponents insist he is aligned with Russia

After Donald Trump and JD Vance's humiliating attack on Zelensky, the US president on Monday suspended military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine.

Over time, this will have a fundamental impact on Ukraine's ability to defend itself - and Trump's Democratic opponents say it's now beyond question that he is aligned with Russia.

The administration has been plain that it sees the move as pressure on Zelensky to sign the president's minerals deal and cede to a quick ceasefire.

Trump's envoy Gen Keith Kellogg characterised the withdrawal of US military support as "like hitting a mule in the face with a [plank of wood]... You got their attention and it's very significant... and it's then up to them to do [what the president wants]."

After all the arm-twisting, the week ends with a more conciliatory tone from some of Trump's top foreign policy team who will meet with the Ukrainians next week in Saudi Arabia.

There was a rare moment of criticism for Moscow by Trump on Friday as he threatened sanctions, even though it is already heavily sanctioned, to try to deter its intensifying bombardment of Ukraine.

But other than that this is an administration that has repeatedly reprimanded its supposed ally but refrained from any such criticism of its adversary.

On Thursday I asked the US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce for her reaction to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ruling out the presence of European peacekeepers in Ukraine. He had called it a "hostile aim" by the West over which there was "no room for compromise".

Ms Bruce declined to respond, saying it wasn't for her to comment on the remarks of foreign leaders or ministers, even though she had just repeated Trump's label of Zelensky as "not ready for peace".

Russia: Leaders enjoy spectacle of Western rift as deadly attacks on Ukraine continue

Until Trump's sanctions threat, this was another week when all the pressure seemed to be on Kyiv, giving Russia little reason to tame its appetite.

The suspension of American military aid and intelligence is one of the worst setbacks for Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, and a huge boost to Russia's chances.

The deadly attacks across Ukraine which have followed suggest that Moscow is happy to continue with business as usual in the war.

It still insists that the original objectives of the "special military operation" must be achieved and more Ukrainian land captured.

It has also rejected efforts by Ukraine supporters to relieve this pressure on Kyiv, through a truce or a peacekeeping force.

French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks this week that Trump's America may no longer be "on our side" are music to Russian President Vladimir Putin's ears, too.

It's a situation in which Putin can sit back and enjoy the spectacle of cracks appearing in the Western alliance. It's a situation that he's been working to achieve for years, if not decades.

And he has achieved it not because of shots fired on the battlefield, but because of a breathtaking U-turn by Ukraine's biggest ally.

Next Tuesday, Ukrainian and US representatives are sitting down for talks in Saudi Arabia. Russia will be watching closely, but feeling confident.

Ukraine: After bruising week, Zelensky gears up for fresh US talks

It's been a bruising, emotional, and relentless week for the embattled Ukrainian president, as he fought to keep Western military support intact while reiterating his commitment to peace.

The fallout from his spectacular Oval Office clash with Trump was compounded in Kyiv after the US suspended military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.

"There's a scent of betrayal in the air," one source close to the Ukrainian government said. "The whole country feels it – including the president and his team."

Zelensky refused Trump's demand for an "explicit public apology", instead penning a letter to the US president and calling their White House showdown "regrettable".

To counter the damage, Zelensky was on the road again, seeking to shore up European support in Brussels. But while he secured public displays of solidarity, he didn't get the firm military commitments he was hoping for.

Meanwhile, Zelensky urged EU leaders to support a limited truce at sea and in the air – an idea backed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Ukrainian and US delegations will hold talks in Saudi Arabia next week, but the path to peace remains uncertain.

Despite the setbacks, a source close to the president's team insisted he remains defiant: "Three years ago, he could have been killed, but he decided to stay in Kyiv. The more pressure he's under, the tougher he gets."

Europe: Could France extend nuclear umbrella as US support falls away?

There have been so many European summits it has been hard to keep up. And more are to come.

Europe's leaders have suddenly realised the security umbrella they have relied on since World War Two may no longer be there, and proposals are flashing by at warp speed in European terms.

There is a broad consensus Europe needs to help Ukraine. France and the UK are offering "a coalition of the willing" on the ground if a peace deal can be found.

Russia hates the idea but Macron will bring together army chiefs on Tuesday to work on a plan.

But far bigger questions are now being asked about how Europe protects itself from what EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen calls a "clear and present danger".

"We have to be ready" if the US is not there to help, says Macron. The EU is now talking about a multi-billion euro plan for beefing up defences.

And Germany's chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, has raised the possibility of France and the UK extending their nuclear deterrent across Europe.

Macron has been receptive to that, although France's nuclear umbrella would stretch only so far and final decisions would be made in Paris.

That goes to the heart of Europe's defence problem.

Without the US, can individual European countries pool their resources and rely on each other?

For smaller states such as Lithuania there is no choice.

But the debate has begun, and Poland's Donald Tusk says clearly it would be safer "if we have our own nuclear arsenal".

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