U.S. Ends Financial Aid to Ukraine, Urges Europe to Foot the Bill

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on August 10 announced that Washington will no longer use its national budget to fund aid for Ukraine, calling on European allies to bear the cost themselves by purchasing weapons from American manufacturers.

A Firm Message from Washington

Speaking in an interview with Fox News after a trip to London, Vance stated: “We will no longer spend our own money to aid Ukraine. If Europe wants to buy weapons from U.S. manufacturers, we are happy to provide them, but the cost will no longer be covered by the United States.”

During his visit to the UK, Vance met with several European and Ukrainian officials, including UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The trip is seen as preparation for the upcoming U.S.–Russia summit in Alaska on August 15, which aims to find a resolution to the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

Vance stressed that America’s European allies should “take on a greater share of the responsibility” if they wish to keep supporting Kyiv, adding that Americans are “tired of constantly sending their tax dollars to this war.”

Peace Talks Context

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that current negotiations may include the possibility of “exchanging certain territories” in a way that benefits both sides. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, completely rejected the idea, asserting: “Ukrainians will not give land to the occupiers.”

On the Russian side, chief negotiator Kirill Dmitriev warned that forces seeking to prolong the conflict will try to sabotage the upcoming summit between Putin and Trump.

A Deal That Will Please No One

Vice President Vance acknowledged that any peace agreement is unlikely to fully satisfy either side. “The end result will not make anyone truly happy — both Russia and Ukraine will have to accept things they do not want. But the important thing is to reach an agreement both sides can live with,” he said.

He added that the U.S. is working to arrange meetings between Putin, Zelensky, and Trump, but for now, Washington believes Putin should meet with Trump before any direct talks with Zelensky. A White House official noted that while the possibility of a three-way summit remains open, the current priority is a bilateral meeting between the U.S. and Russia, as proposed by Moscow.