U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reach an agreement with Russia on Oct. 20, questioning European support for Kyiv days after EU leaders reaffirmed their aid.
Trump claimed the European Union was tiring of funding Ukraine, but offered no evidence for that assessment. “Zelenskyy has to want to settle this war,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
In conclusions adopted Oct. 16, the European Council reaffirmed support for Ukraine and welcomed continued payments from the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan for 2026 and 2027. It called on Russia to accept a ceasefire and said a settlement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The European Commission said its Oct. 2 payment under the Ukraine Facility totaled €2.9 billion. Of that amount, €800 million came from the Ukraine Support Loan. The loan allocates €60 billion to defense and €30 billion to budget support. It is financed through EU borrowing backed by the bloc’s budget, while budget payments depend on agreed reforms.
Trump also asserted that the United States had given Ukraine $350 billion, without explaining his calculation. The Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve recorded $195.0 billion in appropriations and other funding through March 31, 2026, for the Ukraine response and the wider mission. That total includes $4.2 billion contributed by NATO allies and partners. It covers different categories and an earlier period, so it is not a direct comparison with Trump’s claim.
In Oslo on Oct. 20, Zelenskyy met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. He held a separate meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. envoy Jared Kushner, who joined online. Ukraine’s presidential office said the discussions covered security guarantees and proposals to end the war.
“Ukraine wants peace more than anyone,” Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference. His office said Witkoff planned to take the proposals to Russia on Oct. 21 and report back.
