Pentagon refutes Trump’s claim of $350 billion spent on Ukraine

This week, US President Donald Trump once again reiterated his claim that the United States has spent $350 billion supporting Ukraine. However, this figure significantly exceeds the actual amount officially spent by the US.

Official data from the Pentagon and Congress

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US Congress has allocated approximately $183 billion to support Ukraine. From this amount, the Pentagon confirmed that $65.9 billion has been directed toward military aid for Kyiv, with an additional $3.9 billion remaining unspent.

Of the $183 billion, around $58 billion has been spent in the US to develop the defense industry, specifically to replace weapons provided to Ukraine with new American-made equipment.

Expressing his dissatisfaction with the expenditures, Trump stated on social media that "modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars to go into a War that couldn’t be won." However, this figure is not supported by any official documents or confirmations from the US government.

Experts have disputed Trump's claim. Council on Foreign Relations staff member Liana Fix noted that the $350 billion figure is inaccurate and that "it is possible to track how much the US has spent for Ukraine."

Other sources, including Deutsche Welle and Newsweek, also refute Trump's statements, emphasizing that the actual US assistance to Ukraine amounts to approximately $203 billion, of which $183 billion was allocated for Operation Atlantic Resolve and support for Ukraine.

European assistance

While Trump claims that the US has spent more than Europe, data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy shows that European countries, including the EU, the UK, and Norway, have provided around $140 billion in aid to Ukraine. This brings the total assistance from the US and Europe to over $320 billion.

Considering this factor, it is worth noting that a significant portion of US aid has been directed toward military support, while European countries have provided financial and humanitarian assistance.

Overall picture of assistance

Experts point out that much of the US aid has remained within the country, as funds have been used to develop the US defense industry or to produce new equipment to replace old weapons sent to Ukraine.

In contrast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the total cost of the war since February 2022 has been around $320 billion, of which $120 billion is Ukraine's contribution and $200 billion is aid from the US and the EU.

Thus, the claims of "350 billion dollars" made by Trump are significantly inflated and do not reflect the actual level of financial assistance provided by the US to Ukraine, as confirmed by actual data from government agencies and independent analytical centers.

It is noteworthy that on February 19, US President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction that presidential elections are not being held in Ukraine during the war, characterizing Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a "dictator without elections."