Trump says US will not provide new aid to Ukraine
The US President said that the flow of weapons to Kiev could continue "for some time, until an agreement is reached with Russia."
US President Donald Trump announced that Washington is not providing any new military aid to Ukraine, stressing that US taxpayers should be reimbursed for previously invested money, while EU and NATO countries need to take on a larger role in ensuring Ukraine's security.
Mr Trump has demanded access to Ukraine’s natural resources as compensation for the US support it has provided in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. After several delays, Kiev has agreed to the proposal and a deal could be signed as early as Friday, according to some reports.
Asked what Ukraine would get in return for the deal, Trump said Tuesday that Ukraine had received “$350 billion in equipment, military equipment, and the right to continue fighting.”
“Look… without the United States and our money and our military equipment, this war would have ended a long time ago,” Mr Trump told reporters at the White House. “Without the American equipment, this war would have ended very quickly – and American money, a lot of money.”
Asked about the sustainability of continuing to provide weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, Mr. Trump said the shipments could “continue for a period of time, perhaps until we make a deal with Russia.”
"Let's face it, we have to make a deal with Russia, otherwise this war will continue. It could go on for a while, or it could be resolved quickly. I've spoken to President Putin, and I think he wants to resolve this," Trump said.
When asked whether the US would send more air defense systems to Ukraine, Mr. Trump asserted: "Right now, we're not providing anything."
Asked whether Washington would resume military aid in the future, he stressed that "Europe will take a large part of the responsibility for this."
Ukraine has rejected Trump’s $350 billion figure, saying the U.S. has actually provided less than $100 billion in aid. Since February 2022, Congress has approved $183 billion in aid to Ukraine, including more than $66 billion in direct security assistance, according to data from the Pentagon and the U.S. government’s Ukraine monitoring group.
The Trump administration has repeatedly hinted at its intention to scale back U.S. involvement after a potential ceasefire is reached, instead shifting the financial and logistical burden of supporting Kiev to regional allies.