To Appreciate Former United States President Trump’s Position About Ukraine, Look To The Universal Postal Union

Mr. Trump’s Criticism That Countries On The European Continent Are Not Providing Proportionate Funding For Ukraine Makes Sense And, Perhaps Counterintuitively May Result In More Funding For Ukraine.

President Zelensky Should Adopt The Position Of Mr. Trump- Unfair For United States Taxpayers To Shoulder Majority Of Burden For Conflict On European Continent.

Mr. Trump Asks If Taxpayers Of The United States Continue To Be The World’s Indispensable Democracy Or Has The Nation Of 334 Million Become The World’s Indispensable Checkbook?

He Asks Why The Survival Of Ukraine Seems To Be, Based Upon Resources Provided, More Important To The Government Of The United States Than To The Forty-Three Countries Located On The European Continent?

Mr. Trump Asks Why Are Most Funds From The United States Taxpayers To Ukraine Never To Be Repaid While Other Countries, Particularly Those In The European Union, Provide Loans To Be Repaid?

“As Long As It Takes” Versus “As Long As Is Necessary” 

Mr. Trump’s Manner Of Explaining Was During His Time In The White House And Continuing Since Been Adopted In The Political Process In An Increasing Number Of Countries.

Dismissing Mr. Trump Comments Is Both Dangerous And Foolish.

One of the reasons voters in 2016 elected Donald John Trump to be the 45th President of the United States was his focus during the campaign (and for decades previously while he was in the private sector) upon who-was-spending-what and what were United States taxpayers receiving for what they were providing- both within the United States and abroad.  His repeated refrain: “We are being taken advantage of by everyone.” 

When Mr. Trump processes “As Long As It Takes” from Joseph Biden, 46th President of the United States (2021- ), and “As Long As Is Necessary” from Olaf Scholz, 35th Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (2021- ), his reaction is to repel like a vampire from a clove of garlic.

For Mr. Trump, these types of phrases equate to more borrowing for United States taxpayers who have already accumulated approximately US$31.8 trillion in debt (for which he is also accountable from his time as president) for an economy valued at approximately US$26.4 trillion. 

He also connects in a familial way (his grandparents immigrated to the United States from Germany) with the Germanic restraint of Chancellor Scholz for using the word “necessary” as it is demonstrably different than the refrain from President Biden whose rhetoric suggests and leads toward a financial spigot with no turn-of valve, no expiration date.

In 2016, then candidate Mr. Trump delivered a message easily digestible by the public and easily explainable to the public. 

With Mr. Trump seeking the 2024 Republican Party nomination for president, those messages that he shared seven years ago remain relevant today- and will remain so into 2024, regardless of who is running against whom on 5 November 2024.  Mr. Trump’s statements during the 10 May 2023 CNN Townhall illustrate his ability to connect and question what the government of the United States does, what other governments do, and what the United States receives.  Unimportant are any missing exactitudes, precise values- it’s the delivery of the theme that matters:

• “Now, here’s the problem. We’ve given so far $171 billion. They’ve given – they, meaning European Union, which is approximately the same size, altogether, as our economy, they’ve given about 20. So we’re at 170, let’s say, and they’re at 20. You don’t have to know too much about history to realize – or geography to realize that they’re a little bit more affected than we are, OK? So they’ve got to put up a lot more money because they’re taking advantage of us like every other country did.”  Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States (2017-2021), Owner- The Trump Organization (1999- ), candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

• “I want Europe to put up more money. Because they’re laughing at us. They think we’re a bunch of jerks. We’re spending $170 billion for a faraway land and they’re right next door to that land, and they’re in for 20. I don’t think so.”  Donald Trump at CNN Townhall

United States 2022 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) approximately US$25.4 trillion.  Forty-Four Country European continent 2022 GDP approximately US$25.5 trillion.

• “I want Europe to put up more money. Because they’re in for 20 billion, we’re in for 170. And they should be– And they should equalize. They have plenty of money. They should equalize. I got with NATO– to put up hundreds of billions of dollars that they weren’t paying under Obama and Bush and all of these other presidents.  That’s why they’re – they’re able to help them fight the war because of the money I got. But I want Europe to– I want Europe to put up more money. Because they’re laughing at us. They think we’re a bunch of jerks. We’re spending $170 billion for a faraway land and they’re right next door to that land, and they’re in for 20. I don’t think so.”  Donald Trump at CNN Townhall

2022 Brussels, Belgium-based North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member defense-related expenditures were approximately US$1.2 trillion of which the United States government share was US$821.8 billion.  Seven of the then-thirty (now thirty-one) NATO country members spent 2% of their GDP on defense-related expenditures- United States, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and United Kingdom; Croatia and France spent near 2%.

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Albania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Romania, Germany, Slovakia, Greece, Slovenia, Hungary, Spain, Turkiye, Latvia, and North Macedonia.  The Kingdom of Sweden awaits approval from the governments of the Republic of Hungary and the Republic of Turkiye.  

During the Trump-Pence Administration (2017-2021) the United States government provided approximately 22% of NATO’s approximately US$2.5 billion in direct funding (maintaining NATO headquarters, joint security investments, and some combined military operations).  This funding had been allocated separately and was not counted toward the 2% of GDP in military expenditures that was the percentage floor for member countries of NATO.  The Trump-Pence Administration sought to provide 16%, near the 14.8% paid by the Federal Republic of Germany.

• “I was not a fan of President Trump, but I think he was right in one thing – Europeans doesn’t share their part of the burden.”  Josef Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (2019-2024), responding to Mr. Trump’s comments at the CNN Townhall.

European Union (EU): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

• NOTES: On 17 May 2023, Mr. Borrell proposed an additional US$3.85 billion from the twenty-seven-member country Brussels, Belgium-based European Union (EU) to finance military assistance for Ukraine and previously proposed increasing the European Peace Facility Fund (EPF) which provides military assistance for Ukraine.  The government of the Federal Republic of Germany reported that it would provide an additional US$3 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.

Mr. Trump focuses upon the disparity between the United States government, thus taxpayer borrowing, providing gifts and grants to the public sector and private sector in Ukraine while other governments and groups of governments (EU) provide less in gifts and grants and more in loans which will need to be repaid.  He views this unfair- more succinctly, he frames it as taxpayers of the United States again being taken advantage of by other country governments with the compliancy of those elected and appointed in service of the United States government.

• Data From Growford Institute: “From the beginning of 2023, the leaders in providing Ukraine with financial, humanitarian, and military assistance are the United States (€71.3B), Great Britain (€9.8B), Germany (€7.4B), Japan (€6.2B) and the Netherlands (€3.9B).  The collective institutions of the EU and its member states have provided Ukraine with €61.9B.  The largest donors of financial assistance are the United States (€24.5B) and the collective institutions of the EU (€30.3B).  The United States provides 100% of its financial aid in grants, but the EU institutions primarily use loans.  Germany provided $1.4B of grant support to the Ukrainian government, the EU $760M, Italy $120M, and Spain $50M.  Grant assistance from the governments of Finland, Ireland, Switzerland, and Denmark amounts to $10-23M.”

• What Mr. Trump likes to see: The government of the Republic of Korea reported on 17 May 2023 that its Economic Development and Cooperation Fund (EDCF) had signed a preliminary intergovernmental agreement for loans valued at US$300 million in 2023 and up to US$3 billion to be available in 2024 and then gradually increasing to US$8 billion.  The loan term is up to forty years at 0.15% per annum with a 10-year deferment of the repayment of the loan body.  The Export-Import Bank of Korea will provide the loans under the EDCF.  The government also agreed to provide US$130 million in donations and other loans.

• Ukraine Business News- “On May 19, the government of Ukraine accepted additional funding from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). This is a grant for budget support for $1.27B from the Trust Fund of many donors ($1.25B from the US and $15M from Finland) and a $500M loan from the IBRD. This is part of a large cooperation project with a total volume of $16.4B and €1.4B. The funds will pay salaries, pensions, social assistance, and medicine. Also, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, “the Cabinet of Ministers supports Ukraine's participation in the European program, Mechanism for Connecting Europe, to finance the development of modern transport, energy, and digital infrastructure with assistance from the EU. The program's total budget until 2027 is almost €21B," he clarified. In addition, Ukraine will obtain a loan of $1.5B under the guarantees of the Japanese government within the framework of the development and recovery policy support project.”  Mr. Trump reads this and asks why other countries provide loans to Ukraine which must be repaid while the United States provides grants that United States taxpayers must borrow to repay.

Countries visited by Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (2019- ) since 24 February 2022:  United States, United Kingdom (twice), France (twice), Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Italy, city-state Vatican, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.

To appreciate how Mr. Trump’s focus upon expenditures for Ukraine resonate with those who support him, those who oppose him, and those who loathe him, both within the United States and in other countries, look no further than his focus upon and then successful effort to change how the Bern, Switzerland-based Universal Postal Union (UPU) defines countries and calculate rates. 

• “Lower costs for developing economies mean Chinese retailers can sell small goods such as phone chargers in the United States for less than domestic retailers can.  The price for a 4.4 pound package shipped from one United State to another is US$19.00-US$23.00, while [Beijing, People’s Republic of China government-operated] China Post pays US$5.00 to ship it anywhere in the United States, according to the United States Postal Service (USPS) which lost more than US$135 million handling imports from across the world in 2016.” 

Washington Post Editorial Board (28 October 2018): “THERE’S NOT much to recommend President Trump’s approach to trade and globalization, which he summarizes in a slogan, “America First,” that harks back to the unproud days of pre-World War II isolationism.  Mr. Trump is often wrong to depict the United States as a victim of the international institutions it helped to construct, out of enlightened self-interest, in the postwar world.  There are exceptions, however.  One is the president’s recent decision to withdraw the United States from the Universal Postal Union, an international organization that has, indeed, evolved from a mechanism to promote global communication into a small but meaningful source of unfair economic advantage for China.”

Time Magazine (26 September 2019): “The United Nations body governing worldwide mail systems will remain intact after it agreed to a compromise on Wednesday that will change the way its postal fees are structured.  The decision will keep the United States from leaving the group, which the Trump Administration had threatened to do- a move that many feared would create a chaotic situation of changing prices and mail disruption.  President Donald Trump announced last October that the U.S. would exit the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in one year if the group’s 192 members did not agree to reform the rates that countries charge each other when delivering mail and small packages across borders.  His main complaint was that the system allowed countries such as China to pay heavily subsidized rates, thanks to a system meant to help developing countries, even though its economy has grown substantially since the system was put in place.  As a result, it can sometimes be cheaper for companies in China to send merchandise to the U.S. than for domestic American manufacturers to mail similar items between states.”

Biden 2024 Budget Proposal Implies Substantial Resources For Ukraine Not Required Beyond 2023.  US$113.1 Billion Appropriated In 2022.  US$8.922 Billion For 2024?  Some 2022 Funds Not Yet Spent.

In 2022, the 117th United States Congress appropriated US$113.1 billion for Ukraine with those funds to be disbursed from 2022 through 2026 (or earlier as ordered equipment becomes available for delivery).  The 117th United States Congress (435-member House of Representatives and 100-member Senate) was controlled by the Democratic Party.  The 118th United States Congress has a House of Representatives controlled by the Republican Party.

The White House proposes to spend US$842 billion in Fiscal Year 2024 for the United States Department of Defense (DOD) representing an increase of 3.2% (absent accounting for inflation) from Fiscal Year 2023.  The budget proposal includes funding for Ukraine- although not specifying whether the proposed funding is military-related or economic-related.   

• “Supports Ukraine, European Allies, and Partners. The Budget provides over $6 billion to support Ukraine, the United States’ strong alliance with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other European partner states by prioritizing funding to enhance the capabilities and readiness of United States, allied, and partner forces in the face of continued Russian aggression.”

• “In addition, the Budget requests $753 million for Ukraine to continue to counter Russian malign influence and to meet emerging needs related to security, energy, cybersecurity, disinformation, macroeconomic stabilization, and civil society resilience.”

• “To assist Ukraine and manage the aftershocks of Putin’s invasion, the request includes 469 million to bolster the economy and ensure the continuity of government services, strengthen their energy infrastructure and cyber security, and ultimately promote the resilience of the Ukrainian people.”

• “This request includes $1.7 billion that will help Ukraine win the war and lay the reform and recovery foundation for winning the peace and help other partners impacted by the war stabilize their economies and prepare for recovery.” 

CNN Town Hall Transcript (excerpt)
Goffstown, New Hampshire
10 May 2023

AUDIENCE QUESTION: The current administration has made it clear that we should continue to provide military equipment to Ukraine so that they can defend themselves. Do you support this decision? And how would you deal with the increasing threat posed by Vladimir Putin?

TRUMP: First of all, thank you very much. That’s really nice. And it’s an important question. So important. Because we’re giving away so much equipment. We don’t want have ammunition for ourselves right now. We don’t have ammunition for ourselves. We’re giving away so much. But here’s the thing. Have to say it to start off. It no longer matters.

If I were president, this would have never happened. And even the Democrats admit that. Putin knew it would have never happened and his pipeline would have never happened. A lot of things would have never happened. But this would never have happened.

COLLINS: Which Democrats say that, Mr. President?

TRUMP: And all those dead people, both Russian and Ukrainian, it wouldn’t – they wouldn’t be dead today. And all those cities that are blown up and disintegrated right to the ground, that wouldn’t have happened, OK?

Now, here’s the problem. We’ve given so far $171 billion. They’ve given – they, meaning European Union, which is approximately the same size, altogether, as our economy, they’ve given about 20. So we’re at 170, let’s say, and they’re at 20. You don’t have to know too much about history to realize – or geography to realize that they’re a little bit more affected than we are, OK? So they’ve got to put up a lot more money because they’re taking advantage of us like every other country did.

That’s why I ended NAFTA and replaced it with the USMCA, Mexico-Canada.

COLLINS: But on this issue, Mr. President, I should know, I don’t know any Democrats who have said they don’t believe Putin would’ve invaded if you were president. But her question is, would you continue to give Ukraine money and weapons if you’re elected. What’s the answer?

TRUMP: I have a very good relationship with President Zelenskyy because, as you know, he backed me up with the – with the phony impeachment – impeachment hoax, number one, when he said the president didn’t do anything wrong. So I happen to–

COLLINS: That was when you asked–

TRUMP: – like – so–

COLLINS: – him for an investigation–

TRUMP: – I happen to like – yes–

COLLINS: – for weapons.

TRUMP: – that’s right. And it was – I was totally exonerated, by the way. Just a waste of time and money.

COLLINS: You were impeached over that.

TRUMP: Yes, I was impeached.

COLLINS: You were impeached over that. But let’s stay on topic here, Mr. President. Because the question is, would you give Ukraine weapons and funding?

TRUMP: I was impeached by a crazy woman named Nancy Pelosi–

COLLINS: But the question here is, would you give Ukraine weapons and funding if you are re-elected?

TRUMP: I would sit down – let – let me just put it a nicer way. If I’m president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours.

COLLINS: How would you settle that war in one day?

TRUMP: First, I’ll meet with Putin, I’ll meet with Zelenskyy. They both have weaknesses and they both have strengths. And within 24 hours that war will be settled. It will be over. It will be absolutely over.

COLLINS: Do you want Ukraine to win this war?

TRUMP: I don’t think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people and breaking down–

COLLINS: What do you – can I just follow up on that? You said you don’t think in terms–

TRUMP: But one of the things you have to do–

COLLINS: – of winning and losing–

TRUMP: – you have to get the – you have to get Europe–

COLLINS: Mr. President, can I just follow up on that? Because that’s a really important statement that you just made there.

TRUMP: Excuse me, let me just follow up.

COLLINS: Can you say if you want Ukraine or Russia to win this war?

TRUMP: I want everybody to stop dying. They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying.

TRUMP: And I’ll have that done – I’ll have that done in 24 hours. I’ll have it done. You need the power of the presidency to do it.

COLLINS: But you won’t say that you want Ukraine to win. You said when you were in–

TRUMP: You know what I’ll say? I’ll say this.

COLLINS: – in office–

TRUMP: I want Europe to put up more money. Because they’re in for 20 billion, we’re in for 170. And they should be–

COLLINS: But that’s not an answer about who should win the war.

TRUMP: And they should equalize. They have plenty of money. They should equalize. I got with NATO–

COLLINS: But I’m asking you about Ukraine right now, Mr. President.

TRUMP: – to put up hundreds of billions of dollars that they weren’t paying under Obama and Bush and all of these other presidents. That’s why they’re – they’re able to help them fight the war because of the money I got. But I want Europe to–

COLLINS: But let’s talk about what’s happening–

TRUMP: Excuse me.

COLLINS: – in Ukraine, Mr. President.

TRUMP: I want Europe to put up more money. Because they’re laughing at us. They think we’re a bunch of jerks. We’re spending $170 billion for a faraway land and they’re right next door to that land, and they’re in for 20. I don’t think so.

LINK TO COMPLETE ANALYSIS IN PDF FORMAT