FT: Trump plans to maintain US military aid to Ukraine after inauguration

US President-elect Donald Trump intends to continue sending American weapons to Ukraine once he takes office, Financial Times reports, citing its own sources. Recently, Trump has publicly hinted at the decline of military aid to Kyiv and promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours after his inauguration on 20 January. Following his election victory, discussions have emerged about potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, as he expressed a desire to end the war swiftly. However, it remains uncertain how he will persuade Moscow to engage in negotiations. The sources added that although Trump still believes Ukraine should never become a NATO member and seeks ways to end the war immediately, the US president-elect considers that supplying weapons to Kyiv after a potential ceasefire will ensure a “peace through strength” outcome. Furthermore, the sources noted that Trump intends to demand NATO more than double its target for defense spending—from the current 2% of GDP to 5%. Only 23 of NATO's 32 member states currently meet this target. One individual revealed that Trump might settle for 3.5% of GDP and plans to explicitly link increased defense spending with offering more favorable trade terms with the US. NATO allies already discussed raising the target to 3% of GDP during a leaders' summit in June. However, many capitals are concerned about the fiscal burden of such a decision. Related:

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