Donald Trump asks Europe to repay military aid to Ukraine

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would ask European countries to repay the United States for military aid and munitions previously sent to Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia, and appeared to hint at a halt to sales to allied countries. In a social media post, Donald Trump also criticized reports of a sharp decline in U.S. munitions stockpiles amid another conflict in Iran, while adding that the United States was ramping up production and stockpiling munitions.

“We are keeping them for ourselves, the United States, rather than selling them to others, but sales to allies will resume soon,” Trump wrote of the munitions. “Hundreds of billions of dollars were given for free to Ukraine and NATO, money that Europe would have paid if it had simply been asked. But we are going to ask for this money, even if it is a little late,” he added, blaming the administration of his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

Last year, the United States and NATO established the “Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List” initiative, under which European countries pay to supply American weapons to Ukraine. Reuters reported last month that the U.S. military had exhausted much of its stockpile of high-precision long-range missiles during the Iran war, raising concerns about the military's preparedness for future conflicts.

A rise in oil prices

The wars in Ukraine and Iran, as well as their economic fallout, could influence the ability of Trump-backing Republicans to retain control of both houses of the US Congress next year.

Oil prices reached their highest level in six weeks on Thursday, as the latest US strikes against Iran and new Israeli threats against Tehran have revived fears of a disruption in supplies from the Middle East, while maritime traffic remains slow in the Strait of Hormuz.

On Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sought to blame rising oil and gas prices in part on kyiv's recent strikes against Russian energy targets. “We are currently going through an energy shock due to both the war in Ukraine, because, as you know, Ukraine has decided to destroy Russian energy infrastructure and refined products, which puts upward pressure on prices globally, and the conflict in Iran,” he said in an interview with Fox News.