While Trump is used to being surrounded by only those who agree with him, Macron interrupted him to correct the disinformation the Republican is so used to sharing.
French President Emmanuel Macron is being praised after interrupting US President Donald Trump in order to correct his false claim over the aid the US has sent to Ukraine.
While Trump is used to being surrounded by only those who agree with him, Macron interrupted him to correct the disinformation the Republican is so used to sharing.
In recent weeks, Trump has shocked European allies and Kyiv after he decided to upend Western foreign policy, falsely blaming Ukraine for the war and also accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being a ‘dictator’.
He has also gone above Zelensky’s head to negotiate directly with Russia, and has shown a willingness to conceded Ukrainian territory to Russia while also accepting that Ukraine would not join NATO, all key demands of Putin.
During the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, during a day of talks with Macron, the US president told a press conference that the US had provided most of the aid – around $350bn – to Kyiv.
However, Macron interrupted Trump to correct him.
Macron pointed out Europe had actually contributed 60% of all aid to Ukraine so far.
Trump then told reporters: “Just so you understand, Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine, so they get their money back.”
Macron quickly added: “No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort. Like the US, loans, guarantees, grants, and we provided real money.”
He went on to add: “If at the end of the negotiation, they are ready to give it to us, super, it will loan at the end of the day, and we will have paid for that.”
Trump then spoke directly to the media and said: “If you believe that, it’s OK with me. But they get their money back and we don’t.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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