President Donald Trump spoke to reporters briefly earlier than he flew to Daytona Seashore for the Daytona 500.
Through 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 assist Zelinsky’s seeding territory or exchanging territory in any settlement to finish the battle?
President Trump: Properly, he’s going to must do what he has to do, however his ballot numbers aren’t significantly 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, truly, even supposing 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. And so they’ve finished it within the type of a mortgage.
And I’ve a Secretary of Treasury proper now who’s truly fairly courageous. He’s over in Ukraine on a practice, and there’s a number of issues taking place round that practice that aren’t so good. And he’s going there to get a doc finished 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 extra money than Europe.
And Europe is in way more hazard than we’re. We’ve got an ocean in between. Europe has nothing in between. You already know what they’ve in between? They’ve Ukraine in between. In order , Europe is placing up cash, they usually’re getting it within the type of a mortgage.
And the USA, below Biden, didn’t do loans. They only handed cash. Each time any individual walked in from Ukraine, they only 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, they usually have oil and fuel, they usually have a number of different issues. And we’re asking for safety on our cash. So does it imply you aren’t sending any extra assist to Ukraine? They’ve agreed to it. Ukraine has agreed to it.
Reporter: Does it imply you aren’t sending any extra assist to Ukraine?
President Trump: No, we’re, however we wish it secured, and the cash goes to be secured..
This was an enormous growth.
NEW: Trump is urgent for the return of $350 billion from Ukraine
Zelensky has turned down the most recent 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