Continuing criticism from last month’s heated Oval Office meeting, US President Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of taking US aid “like baby candy” during the administration of former President Joe Biden.
“He took money from this country, under Biden, like baby candy. It was so easy,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News, adding:
“I just don’t think he’s grateful. We gave him $350 billion and he talks about how they fought and how brave they are.”
The US president reiterated that he had given Ukraine Javelin anti-tank weapons and that there would be no war if he were president in 2022.
In recent weeks, a number of European leaders, including Britain and France, have told Trump that his aid figures were inaccurate and that Europe collectively sent slightly more money to Ukraine than the US.
Asked whether the US treats Ukraine and Israel in a similar way because of their conflicts, Trump said they are very different places and at different levels of power.
The tense relationship between Trump and Zelensky escalated last month when Trump accused Zelensky of prolonging the war in Ukraine and being unappreciative of American aid.
During a heated argument in the Oval Office, Trump criticized Zelensky and later suspended all military aid to Ukraine, pressuring Kiev to negotiate with Russia.
The move drew a backlash from European allies, while Russia welcomed the decision, further straining relations between the US and Ukraine.
