Europe has spent more on Russian oil and gas than on defending Ukraine from Russia, said the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump on Monday.
“Europe has spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than it has spent on Ukraine’s defense, far more,” he said on “Truth Social.”
European Union (EU) member states bought 21.9 billion euros worth of Russian oil and gas in the third year of the war against Ukraine, according to estimates from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
The amount is higher than the 18.7 billion euros the 27-member bloc allocated to Ukraine as financial aid in 2024, according to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
Trump halted military aid to Ukraine after a discussion in the Oval Office with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, media reported on Monday, citing an unnamed White House official.
He wants a quick deal to end the three-year war, but Zelenskyy advocated for security guarantees.
European leaders have been trying to present Trump with their own peace plan, and on Tuesday the EU announced an 800 billion euro “ReArm Europe” plan to increase defense spending over the years and provide urgent support to Ukraine, AA writes.
