Trump claims hundreds of billions of dollars in free aid to Ukraine and NATO, suggests demand for return

Ammunition production and stockpiling at unprecedented levels... Sales to allies will begin soon

US media reports of 'weapon inventory depletion' condemned as 'treasonous scum'

(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Baek Na-ri = U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 3rd (local time) that he would demand the return of hundreds of billions of dollars he had given to Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for free.

On the social media platform TruthSocial, President Trump criticized U.S. media reports about the depletion of U.S. weapons inventory and claimed, "The Joe Biden administration gave Ukraine more ammunition without charge than we used in Iran."

President Trump continued, "Hundreds of billions of dollars were given to Ukraine and NATO for free. It is a cost that Europe should have paid," and added, "It may be a little late, but we will ask for that money."

President Trump harshly criticized the U.S. media's reports of arms inventory depletion as "treasonous trash" and countered that the U.S. possesses a nearly unlimited supply of medium- and high-quality ammunition.

“In addition, we are producing ammunition at unprecedented levels and are preparing and stockpiling for any emergency that may arise,” he added. “We are securing (ammunition) for the United States rather than selling it elsewhere, but sales to our allies will begin soon.”

President Trump did not specifically mention how he would request hundreds of billions of dollars, but it seems likely that he had in mind a method of asking for compensation commensurate with U.S. support in trade and security negotiations with the European Union (EU).

President Trump has publicly criticized NATO, South Korea, and Japan for failing to cooperate with the Iran war.