President Donald Trump spoke to reporters briefly earlier than he flew to Daytona Seaside for the Daytona 500.
In the course of the questions and solutions, President Trump made when he introduced that Ukraine was going to pay again the estimated $350 billion the US generously despatched to the Zelensky regime.
This was a serious announcement by President Trump.
Right here is the transcript.
Reporter: Would you help Zelinsky’s seeding territory or exchanging territory in any settlement to finish the battle?
President Trump: Properly, he’s going to should do what he has to do, however his ballot numbers aren’t notably nice, to place it mildly. He’s obtained a rustic the place it’s been savaged and attacked, and he’s obtained a military that’s been very, very courageous, really, even though we’ve given him, for my part, $350 billion. That’s what the quantity is. You don’t hear that quantity. And Europe has given, for my part, $100 billion. They usually’ve accomplished it within the type of a mortgage.
And I’ve a Secretary of Treasury proper now who’s really fairly courageous. He’s over in Ukraine on a practice, and there’s a variety of issues taking place round that practice that aren’t so good. And he’s going there to get a doc accomplished the place we’re going to be assured that we’re going to, in some kind, get this a reimbursement as a result of we’re placing up far more cash than Europe.
And Europe is in way more hazard than we’re. We have now an ocean in between. Europe has nothing in between. what they’ve in between? They’ve Ukraine in between. In order you already know, Europe is placing up cash, and so they’re getting it within the type of a mortgage.
And the US, underneath Biden, didn’t do loans. They only handed cash. Each time any individual walked in from Ukraine, they simply handed them cash foolishly. This could have by no means occurred. It ought to have by no means began. And as soon as it did, different issues ought to have occurred. Different issues ought to have taken place. So we’re getting safety on our cash. We’re going to have it secured by… They’ve uncooked earth, and so they have oil and gasoline, and so they have a variety of different issues. And we’re asking for safety on our cash. So does it imply you aren’t sending any extra support to Ukraine? They’ve agreed to it. Ukraine has agreed to it.
Reporter: Does it imply you aren’t sending any extra support to Ukraine?
President Trump: No, we’re, however we would like it secured, and the cash goes to be secured..
This was an enormous improvement.
NEW: Trump is urgent for the return of $350 billion from Ukraine
Zelensky has turned down the newest supply, which was an settlement on uncommon earth metals, a proposal put forth by US Treasury Secretary Bessent. pic.twitter.com/mBCeyCvRnP
— Larry (@LarryDJonesJr) February 17, 2025
