Trump says he will ask Europeans to repay US aid for Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has said he will ask European countries to repay American aid given to Ukraine under the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden. He made the remarks in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying the United States had given "hundreds of billions of dollars" to Ukraine and NATO "free of charge". He did not name which countries he believes should pay, but said the request would come "somewhat belatedly".

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Mr Trump has long argued that European allies should shoulder more of the cost of Western support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, which began more than four years ago. In the same post, he rejected reports that the US military was running low on munitions in its war against Iran. He said the United States had "virtually unlimited amounts" of mid- to high-grade ammunition and that production was at levels "never seen before".

He also said Washington was building stockpiles and had temporarily suspended overseas arms sales. According to his post, the pause was intended to prioritise US needs, while sales to allies would soon resume. The comments add a new public demand to a long-running debate over burden-sharing between the United States and European partners over military support for Ukraine.

The statement comes at a sensitive moment for transatlantic policy on Ukraine, where funding, weapons deliveries and long-term commitments remain central issues. European governments have already faced repeated pressure from Washington to increase defence spending and take on a larger share of the costs of supporting Kyiv. Mr Trump's remarks suggest he is again linking US military assistance to a broader argument about what he sees as unequal contributions from allies.

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The row also comes against the backdrop of continuing Russian attacks on Ukraine and ongoing strain on humanitarian and military supply chains. The World Health Organization said one of its main warehouses in Kyiv Oblast was affected by an overnight air attack, the third such incident in three months. The agency said the site stored humanitarian medical supplies and that access remained restricted because of heavy smoke and safety concerns.

The WHO said the attack was part of a wider pattern affecting humanitarian operations across Ukraine, with at least 20 attacks in 2026 hitting warehouses storing humanitarian supplies, including 15 affecting health-related stock. It said three warehouses used by the agency in different regions had been damaged by airstrikes over the past three months, destroying essential medical supplies for frontline and hard-to-reach areas. What remains unclear is which European countries Mr Trump intends to target, how any repayment demand would be framed, and whether it would have any practical effect on existing aid commitments.

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