US President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that the war in Ukraine continues because the Biden administration provided Kyiv with $350 billion in aid – a figure that analysts and official US government data have repeatedly disputed as significantly inflated.
Speaking during a briefing in the Oval Office, Trump argued that American financial support for Ukraine prolonged the conflict and suggested the fighting could have ended without Washington’s backing.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“You know, they made a complete mess in Ukraine, a total mess,” Trump said. “We’re helping them. And Biden gave them $350 billion, which was crazy. That’s one of the reasons the war continues.”
Trump also questioned why the United States should remain heavily involved in the conflict while European countries are geographically closer to the war.
“This concerns them. For them, it’s like right outside their own door,” he said. “We’re separated by an ocean.”
The president’s remarks echoed similar statements he made during meetings with foreign leaders, where he repeatedly cited the $350 billion figure when criticizing US support for Ukraine.
However, independent analysts and official government sources, including reports from the Congressional Research Service, have found the number to be substantially overstated. Estimates of total US assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 are significantly lower and include military, humanitarian, financial, and security assistance spread over multiple years.
Other Topics of Interest
