Trump's inflated aid claims stir Transatlantic tensions

During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on February 24, Trump emphasized that the United States had contributed far more aid to Ukraine than any other country. He pointed out that U.S. assistance exceeded $300 billion, while European nations provided around $100 billion, highlighting the significant disparity.

This particular statement - which Trump has occasionally quoted as 350 billion USD - has been reiterated by him dozens, if not hundreds of times, both during the electoral campaign and after taking office. He has criticised his predecessor in the White House, Joe Biden, as "stupid" for not insisting on a "settlement" from Europe. In recent weeks, Trump has also begun insisting that unlike the USA, European aid to Ukraine is given as loans.

While the aid provided to Ukraine can be calculated in various ways, it is clear that the 300-350 billion dollars mentioned by Trump is at least double the actual value of US aid. This figure is pivotal in Trump’s narrative, underpinning his intention to "recoup" the aid money via a mineral resources agreement.

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), the value of US military, financial, and humanitarian aid stands at 118.3 billion dollars, whereas the value of EU and European countries’ aid is 145 billion, with 35% being loans.

The Pentagon reports that, to date, the USA has committed to providing military equipment valued at 65.9 billion dollars. Furthermore, Congress allocated 30 billion dollars for direct budget support to Ukraine (with about a third as loans, parts of which were forgiven before Trump assumed office) and other regional countries. The Treasury Department has also extended loans totalling 20 billion dollars to Kyiv, to be repaid from profits generated by frozen Russian assets.

The IfW’s calculations are not the only method of assessing the aid's value. According to data from the U.S. Inspector General overseeing Ukraine aid spending, Congress has allocated 182 billion dollars (of which 83 billion has been spent thus far) in response to the crisis in Ukraine. However, this sum includes expenses not directly benefitting Ukraine; half was used to procure equipment for US forces to replenish American arsenals and bolster US presence in Europe. However, if European aid were assessed in a similar manner, its value would be significantly larger.

And what about the 350 billion? The White House has yet to respond to repeated enquiries regarding the source of the statistics cited by the President. Although several theories exist regarding the origin of this figure - an EU diplomat informed that one version he heard from Americans suggested that 350 billion was the total US expenditure on security in Europe - it remains unclear.

Trump’s assertions were usually not publicly challenged or corrected—until Monday, when Macron addressed Trump and indicated that, in reality, Europe covers 60% of the expenditures supporting Ukraine.

"If you believe that, that’s fine with me," Trump replied. Three days later, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer similarly addressed the issue, publicly correcting the American president, who falsely asserted that most of Europe’s aid to Ukraine was in the form of loans. Starmer clarified that the majority of aid consists of grants, and a 50-billion loan provided to Ukraine, repayable from interest accrued on frozen Russian Central Bank assets, was collectively granted by the USA, EU, and other G7 countries; the USA is responsible for 20 billion of this sum.

Neither Macron’s nor Starmer’s interventions have deterred the US president from repeatedly using fictional figures.

The issue of Trump and Republican misrepresentations of the alleged disparity in support for Ukraine has long frustrated European diplomats and politicians. Polish and European politicians visiting Washington often emphasised their intent to inform their American counterparts about the actual scale of the EU's involvement. The EU Representation in Washington has been dispatching information packages concerning European support to Republican congressmen in 2023 and 2024. Despite some Ukraine supporters in the Republican Party publicly acknowledging Europe’s actual contributions, Trump and many of his supporters persist with their narrative - even following public interventions by Macron and Starmer.

The fictitious American aid amount cited by Trump is one of many examples of his disregard for facts and regular dissemination of false figures and statistics, both about the war in Ukraine and other issues. Trump consistently alleges that "millions" have died in Ukraine (though estimates suggest the number of military and civilian casualties reaches hundreds of thousands, not millions) and frequently alters the numbers, occasionally estimating Russian losses at 800, 850, or 900 thousand, and Ukrainian losses at 600 or 700 thousand.

He also often exaggerates statistics regarding US trade balances (e.g., doubling the deficit in trade with the EU), or speaks of 200-billion "subsidies" to Canada, though these are unclear (the US trade deficit with Canada is approximately 50 billion USD).

As suggested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, the incorrect information disseminated by Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance concerning the war in Ukraine contributed to a dispute witnessed on cameras in the Oval Office on Friday. Zelensky informed Fox News that he repeatedly addressed this in discussions with American officials.

When you talk about numbers, every person is important. When you talk about a million losses, we don't have a million losses. When you talk about territories, maybe some territories, etc. These are not just territories, these are homes. These are people's lives, you know - he added.

The repeated fictitious statistics reiterated by Trump and his disregard for the truth also pose challenges for journalists covering the President's remarks and activities.

A correspondent for a leading American newspaper remarked that the president often speaks impulsively, seemingly trying to shape his version of reality. This creates challenges in reporting, as it is impossible to ignore statements made by the President while also ensuring readers understand that his claims often do not align with reality. The journalist added that correcting every falsehood would take up a significant portion of any article.