Donald Trump slams Biden admn's Ukraine aid bill, asks Europe to resolve regional conflict

Former US President Donald Trump, on Thursday, hit out at the Biden administration for working to provide US$40 billion to help Ukraine battle the Russian invasion. The Democrats have put forward the latest Ukraine Aid Bill in front of the Senate, which if approved, could take the country’s total contribution to US$60 billion. The bill has been passed by the House and is expected to get the upper house’s approval by next week. However, Trump slammed the usage of American taxpayer's money on Ukraine and asked Europe to bolster its efforts to deal with its “regional” concerns.  

“Why are we giving more than USD 40 Billion to Ukraine while Europe, by comparison, is giving very little, and they are greatly more impacted by a Russian invasion, obviously, than the US,” Trump said in a statement on Thursday.  

He said he was able to get European countries to pay their fair share to NATO and the Biden administration should do the same. Notably, he also compared the US’ situation to that of China and others, which he said was “smiling all the way to the bank.” As of now, Beijing has not announced any substantial succour in Ukraine. 

Notably, the bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war's crippling of Ukraine's normally robust production of many crops, according to AP. Trump is not the only one to oppose the bill. On Thursday, Kentucky Senator Senator Rand Paul also denounced the bill and said, "If this gift to Ukraine passes, our total aid to Ukraine will almost equal the entire military budget of Russia. And it’s not as if we have that money lying around. We will have to borrow that money from China to send to Ukraine."

What is happening in Ukraine?

It has been 79 days since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he said was a “special military operation to denazify” Ukraine. The war that followed, has now left thousands dead, cities pulverised and turned the ex-soviet state into a macabre trap. The gruesome conflict has not only affected Ukraine, which was once the world’s third-largest nuclear power, but also neighbouring countries. With new mass graves and as cases of torture and rape emerge, the international community has pressed Moscow to explain its "war crimes." 

(Image: AP)