Trump gave no Ukraine promises The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources, that the heads of some European Union member states tried to persuade US President-elect Donald Trump to continue funding Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia.
Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s presidential election, and Republicans also took control of the Senate and are on track to retain their majority in the House of Representatives. Since then, several EU leaders have called him to congratulate him.
“Trump was noncommittal on Ukraine in the calls, mainly listening and asking questions,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing unnamed officials familiar with the conversations Storie News.
According to the newspaper, EU leaders attending the European Political Group summit in Hungary this week appear divided on Ukraine. At a dinner on Thursday in the parliament in Budapest, leaders from the Baltic and Scandinavian countries urged the bloc to step up its support for Kiev if Washington backs down. French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appeared less enthusiastic.
Europe Urges Trump to Support Ukraine but Braces for Possible Cut in U.S. Aid
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is hosting the summit, urged Trump to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine as soon as possible. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also spoke in favor of peace.
Speaking to reporters after dinner, European Council President Charles Michel said the bloc had tried to convince Trump that “weakness in the face of Russia” would send the wrong signal to China and the rest of the world. The day before, Macron reportedly asked Trump to secure “real concessions” from Russia in any talks on Ukraine.
“Our interest is that Russia does not win this war … because if it wins, it means that there will be an imperialist power standing on our border,” Macron said at the summit on Thursday.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the summit needed to “send a clear message” to Trump that “we support Ukraine as long as it is needed.”
Trump gave no Ukraine promises to EU leaders – WSJ
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a European policy summit that he did not yet know Trump’s plans, but that Kyiv “must decide what should and should not be on the agenda to end this war.” He also demanded that the EU return nearly $300 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets if the US cuts aid, claiming the money “rightfully belongs” to Ukraine.
But as the Wall Street Journal acknowledged, Ukraine “is heavily dependent on foreign military aid and financial support” from the West.
The US has given the Ukrainian government $106 billion since the conflict escalated in February 2022, including $70 billion in military aid, and spent another $70 billion to fund “various US activities related to” Ukraine. The EU has contributed a total of $133 billion in financial, humanitarian, refugee and military aid. Norway and the UK, which are part of NATO but outside the EU, have also spent billions.