Will Europe pay the US to provide military aid to Ukraine?

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States has provided Kyiv with billions of dollars in military assistance, much of it delivered during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

US President Donald Trump is now complaining that those weapons and ammunition were transferred free of charge.

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He says Europe should have covered the cost and that the US will be asking for the money back.

Funding Ukraine’s defence against Russia has been a thorny issue in US-European relations.

With no end in sight to the fighting, can the two sides reach common ground and keep supporting Kyiv?

Presenter: Scott McLean

Guests:

Doug Bandow – Senior fellow at the Cato Institute

Marina Miron – Researcher in defence studies at King’s College London

Charles Kupchan – Senior fellow and director of European Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations