Trump: Billions of US taxpayers’ money ‘pissed away’ in Ukraine by Zelensky
US President Donald Trump has said that he is annoyed by US taxpayers’ money being “pissed away” by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The money is the money. What bothered me – I hated to see the way it was, you know – excuse me – pissed away” by Zelensky, Trump said in an interview aired on Friday by Fox News.
“Congress is very upset about it. You know, they’re saying, where is all this money going?” Trump added.
The US, which under the Biden administration provided some $128 billion to Ukraine since 2022 including $66.5 billion in military assistance, is preparing for its first arms sales to Ukraine under Trump.
Asked by Fox News host Bret Baier whether he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin is an “obstacle to peace” between Moscow and Kiev, the American leader instead directed criticism at Zelensky.
“I had a real rough session with Zelensky because I didn’t like what he said. He was not making it easy. And I always said he doesn’t have the cards,” the US president said.
Trump went on to say, however, that Zelensky is “the greatest salesman in the world.”
In a heated exchange between them in the Oval Office in February, Trump berated Zelensky over his ingratitude for all the US support and claimed the Ukrainian leader was “gambling with World War III.”
Trump has since softened his rhetoric toward Ukraine and even threatened to slap fresh sanctions on Moscow if no peace deal is reached between them.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks in three years on Friday in Turkey.
The head of Russia’s negotiating team, Vladimir Medinsky, said the two sides had agreed upon a major prisoner swap involving 1,000 POWs from each side, as well as continuing the peace talks once each side has prepared a detailed ceasefire proposal for the other to consider.
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