US President-elect Donald Trump attends a meeting with British Prince William (not pictured) at the residence of the British ambassador to France, on the day of the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral after the 2019 fire, in Paris. France, December 7, 2024.
Aaron Chown | Via Reuters
In an exclusive interview with Donald Trump on NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday, the president-elect told NBC News' Kristen Welker that Ukraine would “likely” receive less military aid once he takes office.
“We are waiting for $350 billion, and Europe is waiting for $100 billion. Why doesn’t Europe get the same thing we receive?” Trump told Welker of the support that has gone to Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.
“The only thing that has to happen is that Europe…must draw,” he added.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday announced a $988 million aid package of new weapons and equipment for Ukraine to help in the ongoing conflict after the Russian invasion. In all, 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 any politician ever,” Trump previously said of the Ukrainian leader in June. The comments suggest that Zelensky's diplomatic skills were responsible for tens of billions of dollars in US military aid packages, not the country's actual needs.
Similar to his position 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 part of the military alliance. The incoming president has previously threatened several times to withdraw the country from NATO, an alliance that has been in place since World War II and whose primary mission is to protect against the growing power of Russia.
“Europe is on its way to a small part, and the war with Russia is more important for Europe than it is for us,” Trump told Welker. “We have a little thing called the ocean between us.”
When asked if he had been in contact with Putin since winning office, Trump did not deny that he had spoken with the Russian president.
French President Emmanuel Macron (center) walks with US President-elect Donald Trump (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) after a meeting at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on December 7, 2024.
Julian De Rosa | AFP | Getty Images
The incoming president met with Ukrainian President Zelensky during a 35-minute meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday. The three were in Paris to attend the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral, which has been undergoing repairs since a fire in 2019.
After Trump's conversation with Zelensky in France, the incoming president took to social media to call for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
“There must be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations must begin,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. “A war that should never have started could go on forever,” he added.
Trump previously said that within one day of taking office, he would mediate an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, thanks to his strong ties with Putin.
“I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!” Trump added in his social media post.
Trump also highlighted his “good relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting that they had been communicating with each other since his election and three days before his interview with Welker on NBC.
When asked whether he would defend Taiwan if China invaded the island nation-state, Trump said that although he would prefer China not to do so, he declined to say whether he would ask the United States to intervene, stating that he would have to “negotiate things.”
During his recent call with President Xi, Trump said that the topic of Taiwan “did not come up.”
The US President-elect also spoke about Russia's role in the Syrian conflict.
After a 13-year civil war, Syrian rebels took control of the capital, Damascus, on Sunday, and said they had succeeded in ousting President Bashar al-Assad. There are reports that the plane that took Assad out of the country is missing.
“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, is not interested in protecting him anymore. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They have lost.” “All the interest in Syria is because of Ukraine,” Trump added on Truth Social.
