Donald Trump says Europe is ‘getting away with murder’ without more aid to Ukraine
Trump said Europe is ‘laughing to the bank’ because they are ‘getting away with murder’ by not giving Ukraine more financial aid because the US continues to be the biggest funder of Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression while ‘they are right there’ and the US is ‘an ocean apart’, the former president said, if Europe should not pay more.
Donald Trump has accused Europe of ‘laughing all the way to the bank’ as it avoids giving too much cash and military aid to Ukraine during its war with Russia.
Instead, Trump said, the burden of aid for Ukraine has shifted to the United States – even from an area less vulnerable to war across the ocean.
Speaking to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Trump said he would make sure Europe did the same if not provide more financial aid to Ukraine than the United States.
‘Would you stop the money in Ukraine at this point?’ the host of Sunday Morning Future asked the former president.
He replied: ‘I want to settle the war.’
Former President Donald Trump says Europe is ‘laughing all the way to the bank’ because they are ‘getting away with murder’ without further financial aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia.
No. 1 on Trump’s priority list for war if he becomes president in 2024, Europe is making sure it pays more for Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russia without pushing the costs onto the United States.
“Money is number one,” Trump said. ‘I would say to Europe – you are about $100 billion plus short. ok? You have to pay.’
‘Because Europe is laughing to the bank,’ he added. ‘Europe is doing much less than the US and it affects them more. See, no matter how you look at it, they are there. We are seas apart.’
‘Why are we at $150 billion and they at $20? [billion]?’ he asked.
Trump said it wasn’t for a lack of resources, claiming that when European countries are combined their economies equal America’s.
The former president lamented, ‘We should be at the same number as we are, if not more. ‘And they got away with murder.’
The comments came as part of a pre-recorded interview that aired on last Sunday’s show on Fox and this week’s Sunday Morning Futures program.
It follows President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe earlier this month where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the 2023 NATO summit. This is behind Biden’s controversial decision to send more cluster munitions to Ukraine.
The United States continues to be the largest funder of Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression. Earlier this month, Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the 2023 NATO summit in Lithuania.
NATO stopped short of allowing Ukraine to join the pact, but declared European nations’ united support in defense against Russian aggression, which began in February 2022 when Moscow attacked from the east.
Trump said European countries have consistently tried to shirk their responsibilities by cutting off financial support for international efforts against the United States.
He claims that Europe tried to reduce its financial obligations when it joined NATO.
‘You know what I did with NATO,’ he told the Fox host. ‘They weren’t paying and I paid them. And took them, hundreds of billions of dollars. I said, if you don’t pay, we won’t protect you.’
Many Republicans are critical of Biden’s sending too much aid — both financial and weapons — to Ukraine in the war with Russia.
He earlier this month authorized the Defense Department to deploy 3,000 more troops to Europe to help secure the region. The White House has repeatedly assured that there will be no US boots on the ground in Ukraine.
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