“Just so you understand, Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They get their money back.” “Now, in fact to be frank, we paid. We paid 60 percent of the total defaults, and it was like the U.S. — loans, guarantee grants — and we provided real money, to be clear.”

President Trump said Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, would visit Washington on Friday as part of a deal for Ukrainian mineral wealth. His position could ultimately embolden Russia.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is visiting the White House to try to convince President Donald Trump that peace in Ukraine will endure only if Kyiv and European leaders are at the negotiating table along with Moscow.

Trump has horrified European allies with his attacks on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and what critics say is a soft take on Vladimir Putin.

US President Donald Trump has stated that the primary security guarantees for Ukraine should come from European countries while highlighting Washington's role in economic recovery. Source: Trump at a meeting of his cabinet on Wednesday,