Ukraine aid in doubt with new Trump administration

WASHINGTON (TNND) — An incoming Donald Trump administration likely means changes to America’s approach to international relations, and that includes support for Ukraine. Fighting between Ukraine and Russia rages on with new escalations including drone strikes in Moscow and surrounding areas. There's also a new agreement between Russia and North Korea, with North Korean troops joining the fight on Russia’s side.

Trump vowed in 2023 that he'd have the war settled "in 24 hours" if elected. Trump has already spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a call that also featured Elon Musk. The Washington Post reports Trump also spoke with Russia’s Vladamir Putin, warning him not to escalate the situation. The Kremlin says the report is “pure fiction.”

Trump’s allies say the billions worth of aid going to Ukraine from the U.S. needs to stop. The U.S. has provided more than $64 billion since the start of the war in 2022.

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“We need to focus on our own issues first and I've taken a lot of heat over it from Mitch McConnell from the Wall Street Journal, but this is what the American people spoke up and want us to do. We should never have been in Ukraine," said Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., over the weekend.

Donald Trump Jr. shared a post on Instagram, originally posted by former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, showing Ukraine’s president with the caption saying he’s going to lose his allowance. The White House has about $6 billion left to spend from an April aid package approved by Congress. The administration plans to rush the remaining resources before a new regime takes control in January.

“President Biden made clear when President Zelensky was here in Washington a couple of months ago that we would spend all of the resources that were provided to us by the Congress on time. And in full meaning that by January 20, we will have sent the full amount of resources and aid to Ukraine the Congress has authorized," said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

What’s unclear is what the strategy would be for ending the war and whether that means Ukraine would have to give up land or continue fighting Russia on its own.