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Zelensky denies Ukraine has received $200 billion in US aid

The Ukrainian president assures that this aid has been delivered in the form of weapons or other programs, "but never in money," and that what has arrived in his country is significantly less than what has been published.

Zelenski, during a press conferenceRoman Pilipey / AFP

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Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, noted during an interview that he does not know where $100 billion of the $177 billion that the U.S. has given to Ukraine for the war with Russia is. In an interview with AP, the president assured that the rest of the aid committed during the Biden Administration has never entered the European country.

In the interview, Zelensky assured that it is not true that Ukraine has received "$177 billion, or even $200 billion, as some say," in aid from Washington:

"When it is said that Ukraine received $200 billion to support the army during the war, it is not true. I don't know where all that money went. Maybe it's true on paper with hundreds of different programs - I won't discuss it, and we are immensely grateful for all of it. But in reality, we received about $76 billion. That's significant aid, but it's not $200 billion."

Aid in arms, not money

Zelensky wanted to make it clear that "we are talking about concrete things. We don't receive it (the aid) in money, but in weapons. We have 70-something billion" in this catagory. However, the Ukrainian president acknowledged that "there are also many other humanitarian programs that I am not informed about, except for knowing about their existence. Perhaps the U.S. president's administration will audit these programs and find additional billions, but I don't know where those funds went," he said.

In addition, Zelensky called on Donald Trump not to exclude Ukraine from possible negotiations with Russia to reach peace, noting that this "would be "dangerous." The European leader expressed confidence that the visit of U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg, which was postponed without a date, could be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Ukraine's entry into NATO and doubts about European troops on the ground

The Ukrainian president also said he was convinced that his U.S. counterpart has the ability to get Vladimir Putin to make concessions to end the conflict between the two countries, which is approaching its third year. Zelensky also insisted on his country's entry into NATO as "the cheapest way" to guarantee its security against Russia. The alternative would be to finance the arming and training of 800,000 soldiers.

The leader was skeptical about the possibility of a deployment of European troops on Ukrainian soil as peacekeepers, noting, moreover, that it would create an organizational problem. "Imagine there is a contingent. The question is, who is in command? Who is the main authority? What will they do if there are Russian attacks? Missiles, landings, attacks from the sea, land border crossings, offensives - what are they going to do, what are their mandates?" he questioned.

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