Charles Michel, President of the European Council
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP
Published 04/19/2024 10:45
In a message on X, Michel advised Trump “not to be intimidated by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. We are not.”
He asked, however, that “we clarify the facts. The numbers speak for themselves. EU contribution to Ukraine: 143 billion euros (800 billion reais)”.
On Thursday, Trump said Europe should “move” in its support for Ukraine, ahead of a vote in the US Congress on a delayed $61 billion aid package.
“Ukraine’s survival and strength should be much more important to Europe than to us, but they are to us too! Europe must move!” Trump posted on his social network Truth Social.
Despite not currently holding any office, Trump exercises tight control over many Republican Party lawmakers, who have delayed approval of new military aid funds for Ukraine.
They insist on prioritizing the fight against illegal immigration on the border with Mexico.
The dispute between Democrats and Republicans left Ukraine without ammunition and defense systems and caused setbacks in the war that began with the Russian invasion in February 2022.
“Why did the United States invest over 100 billion dollars more than Europe in the Ukraine war, and we have an ocean between us?” Trump wrote.
“Why can’t Europe match the money contributed by the United States to help a country that desperately needs it,” he added.
During the months that the American package has been stalled in Congress, EU countries have approved military and budgetary support worth tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine.
During his administration as president, Trump publicly and harshly criticized European countries for not spending enough on defense.
In this election campaign, Trump even stated that, if he returned to the White House, he would let Russia do “whatever it wants” with those NATO countries that did not spend what was expected on defense.
