US President-elect Donald Trump Plans to Continue Aiding Ukraine
The US president-elect plans to keep sending American weapons to Ukraine once he takes office. This is according to the Financial Times, which cites its own sources.
Trump has made public statements that suggested a decline in military aid to Kyiv and promised to end the war within 24 hours after his inauguration on January 20th. There have been discussions about potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia since then.
However, it’s unclear how Trump will convince Moscow to start negotiations. Some people believe that Trump still thinks Ukraine should not join NATO and wants to end the war quickly. But he also thinks giving weapons to Kyiv after a possible ceasefire would be a good way to achieve “peace through strength”.
Trump Also Wants More Money for Defense
The sources mention that Trump plans to ask NATO allies to more than double their target for defense spending. The current target is 2% of GDP, but only 23 out of 32 member states meet this goal. Trump wants it raised to 5%.
One person said Trump might settle for 3.5% of GDP and link increased defense spending with better trade terms with the US.
NATO Concerned About Costs
NATO has already discussed raising the target to 3% of GDP during a leaders’ summit in June. But many countries are concerned about the financial burden of this decision.
A key priority for NATO’s current strategy is ensuring free trade and security in the Black Sea, as the alliance addresses regional threats.
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