Trump's inflated aid claims strain US‑Europe relations
President Donald Trump has been claiming for months that the USA has allocated 300-350 billion dollars to aid Ukraine, which he says is three times more than Europe's contribution. However, according to experts, this figure is heavily exaggerated, and Europe has actually committed more resources than Trump's claims suggest, with only one-third of that aid given as loans.
During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on February 24, Trump emphasized that the United States had provided significantly more aid to Ukraine than any other country. He noted that U.S. assistance exceeded $300 billion, while European nations contributed around $100 billion, highlighting the substantial difference.
Trump repeated this version of the statement—sometimes citing it as 350 billion USD—dozens, if not hundreds, of times during the election campaign and after assuming office, asserting that his predecessor, Joe Biden, was "stupid" for not demanding a "settlement" from Europe. Recently, Trump has also claimed that, unlike the USA, European aid to Ukraine is primarily in the form of loans.
Exaggerated US aid
Although the aid provided to Ukraine can be calculated in various ways, it is clear that the 300-350 billion dollars mentioned by Trump at least doubles the actual value of US aid. This amount is essential to Trump's narrative as it justifies a desire to "recover" donated money through a mineral resources agreement.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), the value of US military, financial, and humanitarian aid is 118.3 billion dollars. In comparison, the aid from the EU and European countries totals 145 billion dollars, of which 35% is in the form of loans.
The Pentagon states that the USA has committed to providing military equipment worth 65.9 billion dollars. Additionally, Congress allocated 30 billion dollars for Ukraine's direct budget support (around one-third was in loans, some of which were forgiven before Trump took office). The Treasury Department granted Kyiv 20 billion dollars in loans repayable from profits generated by frozen Russian assets.
IfW's calculations are not the only way to represent the value of support. According to data from the U.S. Inspector General overseeing aid spending, Congress has allocated 182 billion dollars (with 83 billion spent so far) for the crisis response in Ukraine. However, this amount also includes expenses not directly benefiting Ukraine; half was spent on purchasing equipment to fill gaps in American arsenals and strengthen US military presence in Europe. Calculated similarly, Europe's aid would also significantly increase in value.
Trump's calculations
And what about the 350 billion? The White House has not responded to repeated inquiries regarding the source of these statistics. Although there are theories about the origin of this number—a EU diplomat recounted that one version he heard from Americans suggested that 350 billion might represent the total US expenditure on security in Europe—the exact source remains a mystery.
Trump's claims went largely unchallenged until Monday when Macron corrected him, stating that Europe bears 60% of the expenditure in supporting the region.
"If you believe that, that's fine with me," Trump replied. Three days later, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly corrected the American president, who falsely claimed most of Europe’s aid to Ukraine was in loans. Starmer clarified that most aid is in grants. The 50-billion-dollar loan to Ukraine, repayable from interest on frozen Russian Central Bank assets, was granted collectively by the USA, the EU, and the other G7 countries; the USA is responsible for 20 billion of this loan.
Trump holds firm
Neither Macron's nor Starmer's corrections have stopped the US president from continuing to repeat incorrect figures.
The issue of Trump and Republicans' incorrect narrative about alleged disparities in support for Ukraine has long frustrated European diplomats and politicians. Polish and European politicians visiting Washington have often emphasized their intention to inform US counterparts about the actual scale of the EU's involvement. The EU Representation in Washington has sent information packages about European support to Republican members of Congress in 2023 and 2024. However, although some Ukraine supporters in the Republican Party have since publicly acknowledged Europe's actual contribution, Trump and many of his supporters continue their narrative—even following public corrections by Macron and Starmer.
The fictitious American aid figure quoted by Trump is just one of many examples of his dismissive approach to facts and his habit of citing false figures and statistics, whether concerning the war in Ukraine or other topics. Trump often claims that "millions" have died in Ukraine, though estimates of casualties—military and civilian—are in the hundreds of thousands, not millions. He frequently changes the reported numbers of losses, estimating Russian losses at 800, 850, or 900 thousand, while for Ukrainian losses, he cites 600 or 700 thousand.
He also regularly inflates statistics regarding US trade balances (for example, doubling the deficit in trade with the EU) or refers to 200-billion-dollar "subsidies" for Canada. However, it is unclear what subsidies he means (the US trade deficit with Canada is about 50 billion USD).
Fake information
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested on Friday, the false information provided by Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance about the war in Ukraine was one reason for Friday’s public dispute in the Oval Office. Zelensky told Fox News that he repeatedly raised this issue in discussions with American representatives.
When you talk about numbers, every person is important. When you talk about a million losses, we don't have a million losses. When you talk about territories, maybe some territories, etc. These are not just territories, these are homes. These are people's lives, you know, he added.
The fictional statistics persistently repeated by Trump and his dismissive attitude towards the truth pose a challenge for journalists covering the President's actions and comments.
A correspondent for a major American newspaper noted that he often speaks impulsively, seemingly trying to shape his version of reality. This poses challenges in reporting, as his statements cannot be ignored, yet it is essential to inform readers when they do not align with reality. The journalist added that addressing every inaccuracy would take up a significant portion of any article.
