The US has invested “trillions of dollars“ in NATO to help the alliance defend itself from Russia, and that's “a little ridiculous”, US President Donald Trump told reporters.
“You know, we spent trillions of dollars on NATO to help them defend themselves from Russia! If you think about it, we're defending ourselves from Russia. "And I've long thought that was a little ridiculous," the Republican said.
He said that the multi-million dollar US spending on NATO would be subject to "serious scrutiny."
Donald Trump's approach to financial aid to Ukraine has been characterized by a shift from a complete halt to direct state funding to demands for economic returns and a shift of the burden to NATO allies.
The Trump administration has halted direct US funding to Ukraine. According to him, the US is no longer providing military aid, with the costs expected to be covered primarily by European countries and NATO.
Trump supports the idea of Ukraine "paying back" for the support it has received through its natural resources. A key agreement on minerals and critical minerals was signed in 2025, central to Kiev's efforts to maintain relations with the White House.
Trump has often criticized the scale of aid so far and has accused Ukraine of attempts to financially interfere in US elections.
The president has insisted that the European Union take the lead in providing financial and military assistance to Kiev, while imposing tariffs and criticizing European leaders for "weakness" in this regard.
For Trump, the war in Ukraine is seen as an obstacle to improving relations with Russia, which increases concerns that he is ready to make significant concessions in the name of new "deals" with Moscow.