'Don't Know Where It Went': Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Received $75 Billion Out Of US-Approved $177 Billion

Last Updated:February 03, 2025, 10:52 IST

Zelenskyy said Ukraine received less than half of what was approved by the US and he was unaware of where those funds went. This came after Trump froze all foreign aid except Israel and Egypt.

Zelenskyy earlier said he enjoyed “good meetings and conversations" with Trump and hoped he would end the war. (Reuters/File)

As the Russia-Ukraine war approaches three years, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has clarified that Kyiv has only received $75 billion out of the $177 billion military aid approved by the United States under the Biden administration.

The revelation came after US President Donald Trump’s administration froze virtually all foreign aid with the exception of Israel and Egypt. However, Zelenskyy had then said that the US had not “stopped" military aid for Ukraine.

However, in an interview with the Associated Press, the Ukrainian President said he received less than half of what was approved by the US and he was unaware of where those funds went. “When I hear – both in the past and even now – from the US that America has provided Ukraine with hundreds of billions (of dollars), as the president of a nation at war, I can tell you – we’ve received more than $75 billion," he said.

‘Where Did The Money Go?’

Zelenskyy refuted reports that Ukraine had received $200 billion from the US to support its war effort against Russia. “So, when people talk about $177 billion or even $200 billion, we’ve never received that. We’re talking about tangible things because this aid didn’t come as cash but rather as weapons, which amounted to about US$70 billion," he added.

However, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for US support during the war, saying the aid did not come as cash but rather as weapons. “But when it’s said that Ukraine received $200 billion to support the army during the war – that’s not true. I don’t know where all that money went," he told AP.

Zelenskyy also emphasised to the US the importance of maintaining veteran and healthcare programmes during wartime. “Perhaps the US President’s administration will audit these programmes and find additional billions, but I don’t know where those funds went," he added.

The revelations made by Zelenskyy sparked rumours of corruption on the part of the Central Investigation Agency (CIA), Ukrainian officials and generals. Tech mogul Elon Musk, who is heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) also took note of the matter.

Last month, Zelenskyy said in an interview with US podcaster Lex Friedman that Ukraine has not received even half of the $177 billion allocated by the US to support Kyiv. He implied that this development may have been linked to corruption or lobbying on the side of US companies.

While acknowledging corruption in Ukraine, Zelensky said that his country works hard to combat it through the “most complex" anti-corruption system in Europe, according to Kyiv Independent. He also said that what would be called “corruption" in Ukraine might be called “lobbyism" elsewhere.

Ukraine’s Appeal To Trump

Trump has repeatedly said that if he was the President in 2022, Russia would not have been able to invade Ukraine in 2022. Putin also recently claimed that the Ukraine crisis might not have emerged if Trump was the President.

Kyiv has repeatedly said it does not want a ceasefire without obtaining security guarantees that would stop Moscow from regenerating its forces and launching another invasion in the future. Ukraine has praised Trump and his “peace through strength" approach as Kyiv tries to win the backing it needs to create the conditions for a lasting and robust peace.

Trump has been critical of the billions Washington has spent arming Ukraine, while threatening to impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin does not reach a “deal" to end the war. Russia, for its part, has sought assurances that Ukraine will never join NATO.

Meanwhile, Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles on Ukraine on Saturday, killing 15 people and damaging dozens of residential buildings as well as energy infrastructure across the country. Ukraine and Russia later traded blame for a strike on a dormitory at a boarding school in a Ukrainian-held part of Russia’s Kursk region, each side accusing the other of launching the attack that killed four.

(with inputs from agencies)

Kyiv, Ukraine

News world 'Don't Know Where It Went': Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Received $75 Billion Out Of US-Approved $177 Billion