Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Trump Says Ukraine Has Already Failed from a Military Perspective

¬ European Commission President: EU's First Loan to Ukraine Amounts to 6 Billion Euros, to Be Used for Drone Procurement

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U.S. President Trump stated on April 29 that, from a military standpoint, Ukraine has already failed—though he appeared to confuse Ukraine with Iran.

Journalists asked Trump at the White House which conflict would end sooner: the war in Ukraine or the one in Iran.

Trump replied: "I don't know. Maybe they'll end around the same time. I think, from a military perspective, Ukraine has already failed."

However, immediately after making this statement, Trump presented a set of figures suggesting that what he was actually describing might have been Iran.

Trump further said: "From a military standpoint, their fleet. A total of 159 vessels—right now, all of them are submerged underwater."

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech at the European Parliament that the first tranche of 6 billion euros from the 90-billion-euro loan package would be disbursed to Ukraine this quarter, to fund drone procurement and meet budgetary needs.

Previously, European Council President Antonio Costa announced that EU member states had approved a financial and military support loan of 90 billion euros for Ukraine. The funds will be provided over two years, with the EU planning to disburse 45 billion euros each in 2026 and 2027.

Von der Leyen stated: "We will disburse the first installment of the 45 billion euros allocated for 2026 this quarter: one-third for budgetary needs, two-thirds for Ukraine’s defense. The initial batch of defense funding will go toward 'Ukrainian-made, Ukrainian-used' drone projects, amounting to approximately 6 billion euros."

Ukraine has faced record budget deficits in recent years and relies heavily on Western aid to bridge the gap. The 2026 budget passed by Ukraine shows a deficit of 1.9 trillion hryvnias (approximately $45 billion).

Source: sputniknews

Original: toutiao.com/article/1863842602120201/

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