Trump indicates he will 'probably' reduce Ukraine aid
The new US president is initiating pressure on both Moscow and Kiev to agree to a ceasefire and engage in peace negotiations. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The incoming US president has indicated a desire to avoid escalation of the conflict, stating he wants to prevent it from becoming “something much bigger.”
US President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he will “probably” reduce American aid to Ukraine once he assumes office, in an interview that aired shortly after he called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Moscow and Kiev.
In an NBC News interview broadcast on Sunday, Trump was asked whether Ukraine should “prepare for less aid from the United States” following his inauguration next month. “Possibly. Yeah, probably, sure,” he responded.
Since February 2022, the US has committed $131.36 billion in aid to Ukraine, according to recent Pentagon figures. However, just under $90 billion of that sum has actually been transferred, as reported by Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Throughout his campaign, Trump consistently asserted that he would resolve the Ukraine conflict within “24 hours” of taking office, though he did not provide specific strategies for achieving this. Many believe that he might leverage a potential decrease in US aid to compel Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to negotiate and use the prospect of increasing aid to encourage discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump had an unplanned meeting with Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday, but he was reportedly “reluctant” to participate. The three leaders did not address the media following their 40-minute conversation or disclose any specific details.
Following the meeting, Trump took to social media, asserting that “Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” and reiterated his call for “an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.” He cautioned that the conflict could “turn into something much bigger, and far worse.” Trump also claimed that Ukraine has incurred losses of 400,000 soldiers since 2022, a number significantly higher than any figures reported by Kiev or its Western allies.
In another social media post, Trump claimed that the conflict has resulted in Russia losing 600,000 troops, a figure that the Kremlin has dismissed as based on misinformation from Ukraine for propaganda purposes.
Zelensky has rejected the notion of seeking a quick resolution. In a post on X later that day, he stated that the conflict “cannot simply end with a piece of paper and a few signatures,” asserting that Putin “can only be stopped by strength” and that Ukraine will only accept what he described as a “just peace.”
Zelensky maintains that his ten-point ‘peace formula’ is the only credible plan for ending the conflict, while the Kremlin has labeled this proposal— which calls for Russia to restore Ukraine’s 1991 borders, provide reparations, and hand over its officials for war crimes trials— as “delusional.”
Russia insists that any resolution must start with Ukraine halting military operations and acknowledging the “territorial reality” of losing control over the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporozhye, and Crimea. The Kremlin also emphasizes that the objectives of its military operation— which include securing Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification— must be fulfilled.
When pressed by NBC host Kristen Welker, Trump did not confirm whether he had spoken to Putin since winning last month’s presidential election. “I don’t want to say anything about that, because I don’t want to do anything that will impede the negotiation,” he replied.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
US President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he will “probably” reduce American aid to Ukraine once he assumes office, in an interview that aired shortly after he called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Moscow and Kiev.
In an NBC News interview broadcast on Sunday, Trump was asked whether Ukraine should “prepare for less aid from the United States” following his inauguration next month. “Possibly. Yeah, probably, sure,” he responded.
Since February 2022, the US has committed $131.36 billion in aid to Ukraine, according to recent Pentagon figures. However, just under $90 billion of that sum has actually been transferred, as reported by Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Throughout his campaign, Trump consistently asserted that he would resolve the Ukraine conflict within “24 hours” of taking office, though he did not provide specific strategies for achieving this. Many believe that he might leverage a potential decrease in US aid to compel Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to negotiate and use the prospect of increasing aid to encourage discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump had an unplanned meeting with Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday, but he was reportedly “reluctant” to participate. The three leaders did not address the media following their 40-minute conversation or disclose any specific details.
Following the meeting, Trump took to social media, asserting that “Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” and reiterated his call for “an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.” He cautioned that the conflict could “turn into something much bigger, and far worse.” Trump also claimed that Ukraine has incurred losses of 400,000 soldiers since 2022, a number significantly higher than any figures reported by Kiev or its Western allies.
In another social media post, Trump claimed that the conflict has resulted in Russia losing 600,000 troops, a figure that the Kremlin has dismissed as based on misinformation from Ukraine for propaganda purposes.
Zelensky has rejected the notion of seeking a quick resolution. In a post on X later that day, he stated that the conflict “cannot simply end with a piece of paper and a few signatures,” asserting that Putin “can only be stopped by strength” and that Ukraine will only accept what he described as a “just peace.”
Zelensky maintains that his ten-point ‘peace formula’ is the only credible plan for ending the conflict, while the Kremlin has labeled this proposal— which calls for Russia to restore Ukraine’s 1991 borders, provide reparations, and hand over its officials for war crimes trials— as “delusional.”
Russia insists that any resolution must start with Ukraine halting military operations and acknowledging the “territorial reality” of losing control over the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporozhye, and Crimea. The Kremlin also emphasizes that the objectives of its military operation— which include securing Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification— must be fulfilled.
When pressed by NBC host Kristen Welker, Trump did not confirm whether he had spoken to Putin since winning last month’s presidential election. “I don’t want to say anything about that, because I don’t want to do anything that will impede the negotiation,” he replied.
Sophie Wagner for TROIB News
