U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed sharp dissatisfaction with Washington's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, labeling it a mistake. During a conversation with the press, the politician emphasized that the United States should not have intervened in a situation so geographically distant from its borders.
"We are spending enormous sums, reaching into the billions. We should not have gotten involved in Ukraine's affairs, as it is across the ocean, thousands of miles away from us," Trump stated. In his view, the previous administration acted foolishly by providing Kyiv with $350 billion and a colossal amount of ammunition without securing any benefit for the U.S. Trump added that the country is now forced to ramp up military production nationwide due to the depletion of stockpiles caused by such aid. "I am not giving shells away; I am selling them, and the European Union is paying for these supplies," he emphasized.
These blunt remarks come amid reports of a serious crisis in relations between the U.S. and its allies. According to the Financial Times, Trump used the issue of military aid to Ukraine as a leverage tool against Europe. In mid-March, he issued an ultimatum: if European nations did not join a coalition to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, weapons deliveries to Kyiv would be halted.
Simultaneously, the U.S. president has publicly questioned the continued relevance of NATO. In an interview with The Telegraph, Trump called the alliance a "paper tiger," noting that he is seriously considering withdrawing the U.S. from the organization. His frustration stems from the refusal of European partners to support U.S. actions against Iran. "I have always known that NATO is ineffective, and Putin knows it too," the American leader concluded.