Trump Keeps Spinning Lies About Ukraine—Here’s Another Reality Check

From calling President Zelenskyy a “dictator” to falsely claiming U.S. aid is “missing,” Trump’s remarks distort reality and misrepresent the war’s fundamental cause—Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Here’s what’s true (nothing) and what’s false (everything) about his latest claims.

🤔 Claim: Europe’s money is guaranteed while the U.S. “will get nothing back”

🚨 False. U.S. aid benefits America’s economy, some of it comes as loans, and Europe’s aid is not “guaranteed”

Trump suggests that European aid to Ukraine is structured as repayable loans while the U.S. is simply giving away money. The reality is far more nuanced:

• Much of U.S. aid never leaves the country. Around 60% of U.S. security assistance is spent in the U.S., funding defense production and replenishing U.S. military stockpiles. This money flows to American companies like Lockheed Martin, RTX (Raytheon), and Northrop Grumman, creating jobs and boosting the economy.

• Europe’s aid is not fully guaranteed. The European Union’s €50 billion aid package faced significant hurdles, including opposition from Hungary, before being approved. Some of it consists of loans, but repayment depends on Ukraine’s post-war recovery.

• In certain instances, the U.S. has facilitated financial support through loan guarantees. For example, in December 2024, the U.S. announced a $20 billion loan to benefit Ukraine, structured under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) Loans initiative. This loan is unique in that it is to be repaid using proceeds earned from immobilized Russian sovereign assets.

• Ukraine’s economic recovery presents opportunities for U.S. companies. American firms are well-positioned to benefit from Ukraine’s reconstruction, natural resources, and future investments—as happened with the Marshall Plan after WWII.

🔎 Fact check: The U.S. does not just “give away” money—it reinvests it domestically while securing long-term economic and strategic benefits.

🤔 Claim: Zelenskyy is a “dictator without elections”

🚨 False. Ukraine’s elections are postponed due to martial law, as required by the constitution

Trump’s claim paints Zelenskyy as an autocrat, ignoring that Ukraine is fighting a war for survival against Russia’s invasion.

• Ukraine’s constitution prohibits elections under martial law. Holding national elections amid full-scale war would be logistically impossible and legally invalid.

• Millions of Ukrainians are displaced. With over 6 million refugees abroad and many more internally displaced, an election under war conditions would be neither free nor fair.

• Zelenskyy has committed to elections when security allows. He has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will hold democratic elections once martial law is lifted—hardly the stance of a “dictator.”

🔎 Fact check: Ukraine’s postponed elections are due to wartime legal constraints, not dictatorship.Putin is the real dictator—having rigged his own elections and jailed opponents.

🤔 Claim: “There is missing U.S. aid money”

🚨 False. U.S. aid is tracked, and there is no evidence of “missing money”

Trump has repeatedly implied that billions in U.S. aid to Ukraine are unaccounted for, citing President Zelenskyy’s own words. But this is a gross misrepresentation of what Zelenskyy actually said:

• In early February 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed concerns regarding the allocation of U.S. aid to Ukraine. In an interview with the Associated Press, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine had received approximately $76 billion of the $175 billion allocated by the United States. He expressed uncertainty about the distribution of the remaining funds, stating, “I don’t know where the rest of this money is.”

• Zelenskyy’s remark about U.S. aid was taken out of context. He said Ukraine had directly received $76 billion out of the $175 billion total allocated, not that money was missing. The rest was spent on U.S. military stockpile replenishments, defense production, and humanitarian assistance worldwide.

• The U.S. closely tracks Ukraine aid. Multiple government agencies, including GAO (Government Accountability Office) and SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Ukraine Aid), oversee U.S. assistance to ensure accountability.

🔎 Fact check: There is no “missing money"—only misleading political spin.

🤔 Claim: “Millions have unnecessarily died.”

🚨 False. Russia is solely responsible for the deaths caused by its war.

Trump’s claim ignores the fundamental cause of the war and its casualties: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

• Russia’s military actions are the direct cause of Ukrainian civilian deaths.

  • The Siege of Mariupol in 2022 resulted in over 8,000 civilian deaths, according to Human Rights Watch. But the real death toll is believed to be much, much higher.

  • Russia deliberately bombed civilian shelters, including the Mariupol Drama Theatre, where hundreds of civilians, including children, sheltering from Russian forces, were killed.

  • In March 2022, Russian forces occupied Bucha near Kyiv, resulting in the deaths of at least 458 civilians, including nine children. Many victims were found in mass graves.

• Ukrainian soldiers have died defending their country, not because of “unnecessary” war.

  • As of December 2024, over 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action, fighting to defend Ukraine.

• Russian casualties are even higher.

  • Russia’s military has suffered over 223,000 casualties, demonstrating Putin’s willingness to sacrifice lives for his imperial ambitions.

🔎 Fact check: The war was not “unnecessary” for Ukraine—it was forced upon Ukraine by Russia. The real responsibility for the deaths lies with the Kremlin.

The Bottom Line—Trump’s Claims Serve Russian Propaganda

Trump’s latest statements distort reality, misrepresent Ukraine’s situation, and echo Kremlin disinformation.

✅ U.S. aid benefits America’s economy—it’s not a free giveaway.

✅ Zelenskyy is not a dictator—Ukraine is delaying elections due to wartime laws.

✅ No U.S. aid money is missing—it’s tracked and largely spent in the U.S.

✅ Russia is responsible for war deaths—Ukraine is fighting to defend itself.

💡 Reality check: Supporting Ukraine is not charity—it’s an investment in global security, democracy, and America’s strategic interests.