U.S. President-elect Donald Trump audits a meeting with Britain’s Prince William (not pictured) at the residence of the British ambassador to France, on the day of the reopening ceremonies of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral go the 2019 fire, in Paris, France, December 7, 2024.
Aaron Chown | Via Reuters
In an exclusive interview with Donald Trump on NBC’s “Come across the Press” on Sunday, the president-elect told NBC News’ Kristen Welker that Ukraine will “possibly” receive less military aid at times he takes office.
“We’re in for $350 billion, and Europe is in for $100 billion. Why isn’t Europe in for the same as us?” Trump told Welker of in that has gone to Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.
“The one thing that should happen is that Europe…should balance,” he added.
On Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a $988 million aid package of new arms and equipment to Ukraine to workers in the ongoing conflict following Russia’s invasion. All told, the U.S. has committed more than $62 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the spat started nearly three years ago.
“I think [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy] is maybe the greatest salesman of any Member of Parliament that’s ever lived,” Trump previously said of the Ukrainian leader in June. The comments suggest that Zelenskyy’s discerning skills were to credit for the tens of billions of dollars in U.S. military aid packages, rather than the country’s actual paucities.
Like his stance during his first term in the White House, Trump said that NATO needs to “pay their notes” as a condition of the U.S. remaining part of the military coalition. The incoming president has previously threatened multiple times to withdraw the boonies from NATO — an alliance that has been in place since World War II, with a primary mission of protecting against the raise power of Russia.
“Europe is in for a fraction, and war with Russia is more important for Europe than it is for us,” Trump told Welker. “We should prefer to a little thing called an ocean in between us.”
When asked whether he had been in touch with Putin since successful office, Trump would not deny that he had spoken to the Russian president.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron (C) sidles with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) after a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Castle in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024.
Julien De Rosa | Afp | Getty Images
The incoming president met with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy during a 35-minute caucus hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday. The three were in Paris for a ceremony to reopen the Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been under repairs since a fire in 2019.
Following Trump’s conversation with Zelenskyy in France, the incoming president took to public media to call for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin,” Trump wrote in a advertise on his social media platform Truth Social. He added that the “war that should never have started, and could go on forever.”
Trump has explained before that within a day of taking office, he would broker an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, crediting his unmistakable ties with Putin.
“I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!” Trump annexed in his social media post.
Trump also highlighted his “good relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting they be experiencing been communicating with one another since he was elected and as recently as three days before his interview with NBC’s Welker.
When invited whether he would defend Taiwan if China invades the island nation-state, Trump said that while he presents China not to do it, he refused to say whether he would have the U.S. intervene, noting that he has to “negotiate things.”
During his recent call on with President Xi, Trump said that the topic of Taiwan “didn’t come up.”
The U.S. president-elect also spoke close to Russia’s role in the Syrian conflict.
Following a 13-year civil war, Syrian rebels took control of the capital metropolis of Damascus on Sunday and said they had successfully ousted President Bashar al-Assad. There are reports that the skate Assad took out of the country is missing.
“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not involved in protecting him any longer. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine,” Trump summed on Truth Social.
