Donald Trump Jr. has doubled down on his father’s campaign pledge to cut funding for Ukraine in its war effort against Russia.
The United States president-elect’s eldest son shared on Instagram a clip posted by former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin which read “POV [point of view]: You’re 38 days from losing your allowance” over a video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On the campaign trail, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance criticized the Biden administration for spending billions on military aid to Ukraine. In June, Trump called Zelenskyy “the greatest salesman of any politician that’s ever lived” in response to Kyiv’s push to secure more U.S. funding.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he would end the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in one day.
In an attempt to anticipate any upcoming cuts to Ukraine funding, the government of outgoing President Joe Biden is looking to send the last of more than $6 billion in U.S. security aid for Kyiv before Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
Despite Trump’s past remarks, Ukraine has adopted a conciliatory tone since his reelection in a bid to secure his future administration’s support, showcasing what Kyiv has to offer in exchange for U.S. support.
“It was extremely important for us in Ukraine and for all of Europe to consistently hear the words of the then-45th President of the United States about ‘peace through strength’,” Zelenskyy said in an address this week.
“And if this becomes the policy principle of the 47th President of the United States, America and the whole world will undoubtedly benefit from it,” the Ukrainian president added.