US President-elect Donald Trump has said he plans to continue military assistance to Ukraine despite his earlier campaign promises to cut aid and demand peace talks, the Financial Times reported on December 20. Sources familiar with Trump’s discussions revealed that he intends to keep supplying military equipment to Ukraine after his inauguration.
At the same time, Trump’s foreign policy team has communicated to European officials that he will push NATO allies to significantly increase their defense spending. While NATO countries currently aim to allocate 2% of their GDP to defense, Trump wants this figure raised to 5%. NATO member states, including many European nations, have been reluctant to meet the 2% target, with only 23 of the alliance’s 32 members doing so.
Though Trump still opposes Ukraine’s NATO membership, he views supplying military aid after a ceasefire as part of his “peace through strength” approach. This marks a shift from his previous stance during the campaign, when he suggested halting US support for Ukraine and prioritizing direct negotiations to end the conflict.
Trump’s team has indicated that, although he advocates for an immediate resolution to the war, he has not laid out specific plans for how to achieve this. European leaders, however, are reassured by his commitment to continue military aid to Ukraine, particularly as they face challenges in sustaining the country’s defense without US backing.
During his campaign, Trump made waves by suggesting he would cut off military support to Ukraine unless European NATO members committed to higher defense spending. He also raised concerns about NATO’s financial burden on the US, emphasizing that allies must meet the 2% defense spending goal. With his transition to power, Trump has shifted his position, signaling a willingness to negotiate a defense spending increase, possibly to a target of 3.5% of GDP rather than 5%.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other European leaders, who have met with Trump’s team, are optimistic that US support for Ukraine will continue. They also expressed confidence that NATO will collaborate on adapting defense policies in response to Trump’s demands.
In a recent meeting with NATO and EU officials, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that without US involvement, European support for Ukraine would not be enough to secure its defense.
By Team GT
