He made these comments during a campaign event in Vandalia, Ohio, suggesting, "We should be lending them the money instead of just giving it to them. That will keep them on their toes and eventually they will have to pay us back. Lend it to them so they feel it’s their responsibility. Don’t just hand them $60 billion."

Trump continued by expressing his astonishment at the amount of money Zelenskyy manages to bring back to Ukraine from the U.S., saying, “Every time [Zelenskyy] comes to America, he leaves with $50 billion or $60 billion. That’s money I’ve never made in my life. He’s truly a better businessman."

Trump’s comments come in the context of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine that began in February 2022. Since the conflict’s onset, the U.S. has been the leading supporter of Kyiv’s government, providing a total of $113 billion in military, economic, and general aid.

He also criticized NATO countries for what he described as their mockery of American "stupidity" for providing substantial assistance to Ukraine.

The U.S. recently announced plans to provide Ukraine with $300 billion in military aid, intending to use $285 billion of Russian assets seized by the U.S. to finance weapons to support Ukraine.