WASHINGTON, Sept 3 - President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would seek repayments from European nations for military assistance and munitions the United States had sent to Ukraine. The comments came in a post on social media in which the president also addressed reporting that U.S. munition reserves have been heavily drawn down amid a separate conflict in Iran.
In the post, Trump wrote that the United States was keeping munitions for itself "rather than selling them to others," and added that "the sales to Allies will soon again, begin." He further asserted that "Hundreds of Billions of Dollars was given to Ukraine and NATO, free of charge, that Europe would have paid for, If they were only asked, but we will be asking for that money, though somewhat belatedly!"
The president's remarks follow reporting that the U.S. Army used a significant portion of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during the Iran war, a development that Reuters said has raised concerns about the military's preparedness for potential future conflicts. The social media post tied that reporting to the decision to retain munitions rather than continue sales to allied countries immediately.
Trump's public statement links two distinct but related issues: the financial burden of U.S. military support to Ukraine and NATO, and the state of U.S. munition inventories after operations connected to the Iran conflict. He framed the move to request reimbursement from European partners as a corrective measure for what he described as large, uncompensated transfers of military support.
At the same time, the president signaled an interruption in outward arms sales, saying that munitions were being held for U.S. needs, while indicating that ally sales will resume at a later point. The statement did not specify timelines, quantities, or the mechanism by which repayments would be requested or collected.
Readers should note that the account above reflects the president's social media comments and a prior report on U.S. missile inventories; it does not include additional details on negotiations with European governments or on formal policy changes beyond the president's public remarks.