Trump criticizes US aid to Ukraine, promises to “have that settled” if reelected
Adam J. Dewey/Anadolu via Getty Images
It has long been known that preemptive GOP nominee, Donald Trump, has had plans to curb or altogether end the U.S. support to Ukraine. He reaffirmed his plans on Saturday.
Earlier in March, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in an interview that Trump told him his plans to cease the U.S. military aid to Ukraine to help end its conflicts with Russia, NBC News reported.
The former president sang a similar tune at a campaign rally in Detroit this weekend. Trump criticized the scale of the U.S. aid for Ukraine and promised that if he is reelected in November he will “have that settled,” Politico reported.
Trump went on to criticize Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv’s efforts to secure U.S. support to defend the country against Russia and called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman of all time.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Western allies have been working double time to ensure that Kyiv’s long-term assistance is secure — especially, with the possibility of Trump’s reelection looming.
Just last week, the Biden administration extended long-term security guarantees to Ukraine following congressional approval in April for over $60 billion in aid.
“He just left four days ago with $60 billion, and he gets home, and he announces that he needs another $60 billion,” Trump said of the Ukrainian President at the campaign rally. “It never ends.”
NATO countries, last week, also moved ahead with a “Trump-proof” plan for the alliance to take over for the U.S. to continue sending out aid to Ukraine, Politico reported.
On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a $1.5 billion aid package for Ukraine at a two-day peace summit in Switzerland — focused primarily on the energy sector and humanitarian assistance.
“I will have that settled prior to taking the White House as president-elect,” Trump said of the steady stream of U.S. aid going to Ukraine.