President Donald Trump has brazenly declared that his income much exceeds the financial aid Ukraine has received from the US.
Observers speculate that on a visit to Abu Dhabi, the 78-year-old Republican might have unintentionally exposed more than planned during a conversation with Fox News top political anchor Bret Baier.
Baier brought out how Russian President Vladimir Putin has been mostly dismissive of Trump’s concerns expressed on Truth Social as they spoke about the continuous conflict in Eastern Europe. Given a Russian airstrike that sadly resulted in at least nine deaths and left seventy others injured, he referenced Trump’s plea of Putin to stop bombing Ukraine on April 24.
Baier responded, “On Truth Social, you said, ‘Vladimir, stop.’ I haven’t seen you become personal. But he has not answered your call. You already mentioned that in order to exert more pressure other tactics, such sanctions or financial measures, might be required.
Trump warned Putin on May 8 of “further sanctions” should he reject the suggested truce. He posted on his social media page: “Continuous discussions between Russia and Ukraine are happening. The United States demands, ideally, a 30-day total ceasefire free from conditions. It is hoped that both countries will follow the conditions of this truce and answerable for maintaining the integrity of these direct talks.
“The U.S. and its allies would impose more penalties should the truce be disregarded. Every week, thousands of young men are sadly dying; so, there should be a shared goal to end this war.
“I most certainly do, and I think the United States is standing with me on this.”
Putin turned down the suggestion for a ceasefire and instead proposed that talks take place in Turkey—a concept Trump first approved. Later on, though, he pulled his support, which resulted in Russian officials running the negotiations. Trump also chose not to show up for the conference, citing his desire to avoid disappointing the UAE with a cancellation of his intended trip.
Trump said Baeir in Abu Dhabi, “I don’t want to see 5,000 people dead each week in the battle. Beyond the financial element, which is important, money is something we can deal with. With just one trip like this, you can recuperate the money. See?”
He went on, “Think about this trip; I made twelve times what we are talking about. I brought in that money in a few days. I have always been naturally good at making money.
Baeir then said, “It’s not solely about the money; it’s about putting pressure on Putin, right?”
Trump said, “I understand, but my strength has always been money; I make money. In barely four days, I made twelve times our Ukrainian investment. Therefore, in this perspective, the financial element stays rather crucial.”
What so does the financial figure look like? While the German-based charity Kiel Institute, which tracks relief to Ukraine, estimates at roughly $119.7 billion, the US Department of State has reported supporting Ukraine with nearly $182.8 billion since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Although Trump has said the number might go as high as $350 billion, he has not offered any data to support his assertion. Is he really implying that in just four days he closed deals in the Middle East valued between $1.4 trillion and $4.2 trillion? Many on Twitter seem to believe Trump might have fallen unintentionally by presenting these numbers.
One user cracked a joke, “I think he’s saying the quiet part out loud.” Another observed is “He’s conflating government spending on Ukraine, which he says is $300 billion, with possible foreign investments in the U.S. Not exactly $4 trillion is the government getting.
Another user said, “He has no meaningful solutions to the essential problems as Putin constantly outmanues him from his unsuccessful Ukraine strategy. Rather, he veers off to a side point unconnected.
“He’s just going in circles to avoid confronting the obvious—that Putin is using him,” a fourth user said. Regarding helping Ukraine and opposing Russia, he has been even less than Biden (which is saying).