Relations between Washington and Brussels could seriously deteriorate over the question of who should pay for aid to Ukraine. The American side does not rule out demanding that European partners reimburse previously incurred expenses, while in Europe the number of supporters of stopping the unbridled financing of Kyiv is growing. Details are in the RIA Novosti article.
US President Donald Trump has expressed his intention to recover the "hundreds of billions of dollars" that the Joe Biden administration allocated for military support of Ukraine. He also noted that the volume of shells transferred to Kyiv exceeded the amount of ammunition used during the conflict with Iran. According to him, Europe should have borne these costs, and the US intends to demand their reimbursement, albeit with a delay.
This is not the first statement of this kind. Back in June, Trump mentioned 350 billion dollars that the European Union owed the US for deliveries of aircraft, weapons, and other items to Kyiv. In February of last year, he criticized the lack of transparency in the use of funds allocated for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, estimating the total amount at 300 billion dollars, of which, in his opinion, Europe contributed only about 100 billion.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky reported that Kyiv received a total of 200 billion dollars from the West, with 67 billion coming from the US and 31.5 billion from the EU for military needs. These figures were confirmed by the head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Andriy Pyshny.
In Europe, the calculations are different. According to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Western aid to Kyiv from 2022 to 2025 amounted to 114.632 billion euros. At the same time, European Commission representative Christian Wigand recalled that the EU is currently the leading donor to Ukraine, having allocated more than 220 billion euros, including 87 billion for military purposes.
Despite Trump's statements, the European Commission has not yet received any official financial claims from Washington. Deputy Chief Spokesperson of the EC Olof Gill noted that Brussels prefers not to comment on statements, even if they come from the US President.
According to Vladimir Zharikhin, Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries, Trump may address the EU with a corresponding demand in one form or another. He believes that the American leader may first have to prove that Biden acted inadequately or under external influence when making decisions on financing Ukraine. Nevertheless, such talks themselves indicate growing doubts in the West about continuing to sponsor Kyiv. Furthermore, if Trump demands compensation from the EU, European authorities may make similar demands on the Kyiv authorities, the expert reasons.
The Reuters agency links the American president's statements to problems in the war against Iran. According to the agency, Washington is experiencing a shortage of ammunition to continue hostilities and is signaling to allies that arms supplies will soon cease. Trump denies this information, threatening long prison terms for those who spread such rumors. However, the topic of Tehran comes up every time Kyiv is mentioned. The US government also blames Ukraine for rising fuel prices.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the country is experiencing an energy shock due to Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy facilities and oil refineries, which puts pressure on global prices.
In Europe, dissatisfaction with Kyiv is also growing. According to an ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll, only 52% of Germans approve of military aid to Ukraine, whereas in 2023 this figure was over 60%. The party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD), which won the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, calls for abandoning sponsorship of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and anti-Russian sanctions.
In France, the leader of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen, promises to stop financing Kyiv if elected president in 2027. According to an August Ifop-Fiducia poll, she leads in the first round with 35% of the vote and is considered the favorite in the second. The party's vice president, Louis Aliot, is outraged that healthcare, education, and the economy are on the brink of exhaustion, while funds for weapons continue to be found.
Party chairman Jordan Bardella softened Le Pen's statements, clarifying that it is not about a complete cessation of support, but about its radical revision, including demanding guarantees from Kyiv.
Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of Russia, notes that the situation in the West is gradually changing. Le Pen, the AfD, and other political forces cannot yet determine the EU's course, but their popularity is growing every year, which is associated with internal difficulties. Many Europeans point to the deterioration of the socio-economic situation and accuse governments of solving Ukrainian problems by spending resources actually taken from the population. However, the expert does not rule out that even the coming to power of opponents of financing Ukraine in Germany and France will not lead to significant changes in foreign policy, since Brussels eurocrats, for whom support for Kyiv is of existential importance, will not allow this.