President Trump sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an interview on Friday, accusing him of squandering vast amounts of U.S. financial assistance sent to Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
Speaking with Bret Baier on Fox News’ Special Report, Trump emphasized that his concern lies less with the volume of money allocated to Kyiv and more with how the funds have been handled. “The money is the money,” Trump said. “What bothered me — I hated to see the way it was, you know, excuse me, pissed away.”
Trump made the remark when Baier asked if he was weighing new sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, Trump redirected the conversation toward his frustrations with Zelensky’s approach to U.S. aid.
“I hated to see that checks were sent for $60 billion every time Zelensky [traveled to Washington],” he said.
Praising Zelensky’s ability to secure financial support, Trump remarked, “I think he’s the greatest salesman in the world. Far better than me.” He added, “Where is all this money going?”
Even as Baier attempted to refocus the discussion back to Putin, Trump continued to press the issue of unaccounted funds. “We send checks. We don’t always send equipment. We send — just checks. We send — just cash,” he said. “Where is it?”
Trump then pivoted to criticize Europe’s role in the Ukraine conflict, arguing that European nations should be carrying a greater share of the financial burden than the United States. When Baier tried once more to steer the conversation back to Putin, Trump pushed back.
“Wait,” Trump said. He then claimed that Ukraine has treated the U.S. less favorably than it has treated European countries. “We inherited this mess, but I think it’s going to get solved.”
His comments came as officials warned that by June, the U.S. is expected to exhaust the funds previously approved by Congress to support Ukraine. To date, the United States has committed approximately $175 billion in aid since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Despite his criticisms, Trump signaled his intention to pursue a diplomatic solution to the war, saying he wants to meet with Putin personally to negotiate an end to the conflict. “I think we’ll do it fast,” Trump said.
He added, “I think he’s tired of this whole thing. He’s not looking good, and he wants to look good.”
{Matzav.com}