U.S. President-elect Donald Trump meets Britain’s Prince William (not pictured) at the residence of the British ambassador to France on the day of the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after a fire in 2019, France, December 7, 2024.
Aaron Zhou En | Reuters
In an exclusive interview Donald Trump On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, the president-elect told NBC News’ Kristen Welker that Ukraine “will probably” receive less military aid once he takes office.
“Our revenue is $350 billion, Europe’s revenue is $100 billion. Why isn’t Europe the same as us?” Trump told Welker that Ukraine has received support since the war broke out in February 2022.
“One thing that should happen is that Europe… should have equality,” he added.
On Saturday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $988 million aid package Provide Ukraine with new weapons and equipment to help resolve the ongoing conflict following Russia’s invasion. The United States has pledged more than $62 billion in aid to Ukraine since the conflict began nearly three years ago.
“I think (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky) is probably the greatest salesman of all time among politicians,” Trump has previously stated Ukrainian leader in June. The comments suggest that Zelensky owes his diplomatic skills to the tens of billions of dollars in U.S. military aid programs rather than the country’s actual needs.
True to his stance during his first term in the White House, Trump said NATO needed to “pay its bills” as a condition for the United States to remain in the military alliance. The incoming president has repeatedly threatened to pull the country out of NATO – an alliance that has existed since World War II and whose main mission is to defend against Russia’s growing power.
“Europe is in trouble and a war with Russia is more important to Europe than it is to us,” Trump told Welker. “There’s a little thing called an ocean between us.”
Asked whether he had been in contact with Putin since taking office, Trump would not deny that he had spoken to the Russian president.
French President Macron (center) takes a walk after meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on December 7, 2024.
Julian DeRosa | AFP | Getty Images
Incoming president meets with Ukrainian president Zelensky period 35 minute meeting Hosted by the President of France Emmanuel Macron Saturday in Paris. The three were in Paris to attend a ceremony for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been undergoing repairs since a fire in 2019.
After Trump spoke with Zelensky in France, the incoming president took to social media to call for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations begin,” Trump wrote in the post on his social media platform Truth Social. He added, “This war should never have started and could go on forever.”
Trump has previously said he would broker an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine within one day of taking office, crediting his strong relationship with Putin.
“I know Vladimir well. It’s time for him to take action. China can help. The world is waiting!” Trump said in his social media posts.
Trump also emphasized his “excellent relationship” with the Chinese president Xi Jinpingnoted that they have been communicating with each other since his election, just three days before his interview with NBC’s Welker.
Asked whether he would defend Taiwan if China invaded the island nation, Trump said that while he hoped China would not do so, he declined to say whether he would let the United States intervene, noting that he would have to “negotiate.”
In a recent phone call with President Xi, Trump said the Taiwan issue “wasn’t mentioned.”
The US president-elect also addressed Russia’s role in the Syrian conflict.
After 13 years of civil war, Syrian rebels took control of the capital Damascus on Sunday and said they had succeeded in overthrowing President Bashar Assad. There were reports that Assad’s plane from the country was missing.
“Assad is gone. He fled his country. His protector, Russia, the Russia led by Vladimir Putin, is no longer interested in protecting him. Russia had no reason to be there in the first place . They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine,” Trump added on “Truth Society.”
