Europe Is Paying. Washington Is Negotiating. In 2025, European countries and institutions allocated €28.4 billion in new military support to Ukraine. The United States allocated €400 million.
That is 71 times as much.
These are new commitments for that year, not everything America has delivered since the invasion. But the shift is extraordinary. Europe is increasingly financing Ukraine's defence. It will pay much of the reconstruction bill and live with the consequences of any failed settlement.
Yet the peace process is still presented as an American negotiation. At some point, the people paying for the security must have a greater say in designing it.
That is 71 times as much.
These are new commitments for that year, not everything America has delivered since the invasion. But the shift is extraordinary. Europe is increasingly financing Ukraine's defence. It will pay much of the reconstruction bill and live with the consequences of any failed settlement.
Yet the peace process is still presented as an American negotiation. At some point, the people paying for the security must have a greater say in designing it.
Oct 23, 2026 · 2:00 PM UTC
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@Microinteracti1 @IlvesToomas Completely agree. US should not be involved in the negotiations.
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@Microinteracti1ound with Grok AI and asking about minerals in Ukraine etc. and AI Grok came back with this:
"Trump did push a transactional approach from the start of his second term, framing continued US support around access to Ukrainian rare earths and other resources. Early public statements referenced figures on the order of $500 billion in value for past aid
The agreement actually signed on 30 April 2025 is a joint US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. Ukraine retains ownership of its subsoil; it contributes 50% of future royalty revenues from new licenses (minerals, oil, gas, etc.); the US receives preferential rights and counts future military assistance toward the fund.
Past aid is not treated as a debt to be repaid under the final text, and Ukraine keeps a say on what and where is extracted. Trump has later described the deal more expansively (“we can go in there at any time… take pretty much whatever we want”), but the documented terms are more limited."
ME: Europe is carrying a large share of the ongoing human and financial load. That reality seems under-weighted when the peace process is framed mainly as a US negotiation.
I’m no geopolitics expert, just watching from the outside. Gandalv’s post is right. AI says the same - in 2025 Europe allocated far more new military support to Ukraine (€28.4 billion) than the US (€400 million).
AI REPLY: Ukraine was one of the world’s major grain exporters (wheat, corn, sunflower oil)—a real breadbasket—and repeated disruptions to Black Sea ports and infrastructure have cut exports sharply, feeding into higher global food prices.
Millions of Ukrainians fled. At the peak Poland alone hosted well over a million under temporary protection; as of late summer 2026 it still has roughly 940,000 under that status (and an estimated 1.7–1.9 million Ukrainians total in the country).
Across the EU the figure is about 4.43 million under temporary protection, with Germany now hosting the largest number. The day-to-day costs of housing, healthcare, education, and social support have fallen primarily on European countries.
US support has been overwhelmingly military (weapons, ammunition, training) plus earlier direct budget aid that helped pay Ukrainian government salaries and services.
In 2025 new US military allocations dropped to a few hundred million euros while Europe sharply increased its own military and financial commitments.
Russia has repeatedly raised its authorized armed-forces strength; recent decrees put the total ceiling above 2.4 million personnel, including roughly 1.55 million military members."
SUMMARY to Me from AIGrok:
Your main point—that Europe is absorbing the largest ongoing human and fiscal consequences while negotiations are still heavily US-led—is consistent with the aid-shift data from the Kiel Institute and the refugee statistics.
Refugees: “Over 2.5 million into Poland” was closer to early cumulative border crossings or peak estimates; current temporary-protection numbers in Poland are lower (~0.9 million) as some have returned, moved elsewhere in the EU, or shifted status. Total EU temporary protection remains ~4.4 million.
US aid: Not “only bullets.” The US provided substantial financial/budget support in earlier years (via World Bank mechanisms covering salaries, pensions, etc.) in addition to military equipment. 2025 saw a sharp drop in new US military commitments.
Russian army: Authorized strength is well above 900,000; recent expansions put military personnel around 1.55 million within a larger total force ceiling of ~2.44 million.
Breadbasket: Accurate description; export disruptions remain a live issue."
"Trump did push a transactional approach from the start of his second term, framing continued US support around access to Ukrainian rare earths and other resources. Early public statements referenced figures on the order of $500 billion in value for past aid
The agreement actually signed on 30 April 2025 is a joint US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund. Ukraine retains ownership of its subsoil; it contributes 50% of future royalty revenues from new licenses (minerals, oil, gas, etc.); the US receives preferential rights and counts future military assistance toward the fund.
Past aid is not treated as a debt to be repaid under the final text, and Ukraine keeps a say on what and where is extracted. Trump has later described the deal more expansively (“we can go in there at any time… take pretty much whatever we want”), but the documented terms are more limited."
ME: Europe is carrying a large share of the ongoing human and financial load. That reality seems under-weighted when the peace process is framed mainly as a US negotiation.
I’m no geopolitics expert, just watching from the outside. Gandalv’s post is right. AI says the same - in 2025 Europe allocated far more new military support to Ukraine (€28.4 billion) than the US (€400 million).
AI REPLY: Ukraine was one of the world’s major grain exporters (wheat, corn, sunflower oil)—a real breadbasket—and repeated disruptions to Black Sea ports and infrastructure have cut exports sharply, feeding into higher global food prices.
Millions of Ukrainians fled. At the peak Poland alone hosted well over a million under temporary protection; as of late summer 2026 it still has roughly 940,000 under that status (and an estimated 1.7–1.9 million Ukrainians total in the country).
Across the EU the figure is about 4.43 million under temporary protection, with Germany now hosting the largest number. The day-to-day costs of housing, healthcare, education, and social support have fallen primarily on European countries.
US support has been overwhelmingly military (weapons, ammunition, training) plus earlier direct budget aid that helped pay Ukrainian government salaries and services.
In 2025 new US military allocations dropped to a few hundred million euros while Europe sharply increased its own military and financial commitments.
Russia has repeatedly raised its authorized armed-forces strength; recent decrees put the total ceiling above 2.4 million personnel, including roughly 1.55 million military members."
SUMMARY to Me from AIGrok:
Your main point—that Europe is absorbing the largest ongoing human and fiscal consequences while negotiations are still heavily US-led—is consistent with the aid-shift data from the Kiel Institute and the refugee statistics.
Refugees: “Over 2.5 million into Poland” was closer to early cumulative border crossings or peak estimates; current temporary-protection numbers in Poland are lower (~0.9 million) as some have returned, moved elsewhere in the EU, or shifted status. Total EU temporary protection remains ~4.4 million.
US aid: Not “only bullets.” The US provided substantial financial/budget support in earlier years (via World Bank mechanisms covering salaries, pensions, etc.) in addition to military equipment. 2025 saw a sharp drop in new US military commitments.
Russian army: Authorized strength is well above 900,000; recent expansions put military personnel around 1.55 million within a larger total force ceiling of ~2.44 million.
Breadbasket: Accurate description; export disruptions remain a live issue."
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@Microinteracti1 Europe & Ukraine should be the only ones negotiating now
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@Microinteracti1 As a side effect, it’s united Europeans like never before. It’s time for a better class of superpower in this world. We’re only just getting started.
Viva Europa 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦
Viva Europa 🇪🇺🤝🇺🇦
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@Microinteracti1 How is this possible? Why are is Europe still listening to those clowns with their big mouth? Europe needs to stand up!
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@Microinteracti1 The failed US negotiators should be removed and European negotiators with diplomatic skills should take over.
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@Microinteracti1 I don’t know why they even take trump’s calls anymore. His administration is not negotiating, they’re strong arming Ukraine to capitulate. Now they’re even blocking defensive weapons Europe has paid for, along with intelligence and Starlink/StarShield. What good are they?
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@Microinteracti1 Agreed. The EU must take an active role in negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine. We have a greater interest in peace than the US does.
After all, Europe is financing Russia’s war against Ukraine, as we continue to buy oil and gas from Russia.
After all, Europe is financing Russia’s war against Ukraine, as we continue to buy oil and gas from Russia.
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@Microinteracti1 As far as I know, those $ 400 million worth of aid has not been delivered. Nor have the weapons Europe paid billions for under PURL been delivered!
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@Microinteracti1 It’s time to tell him to butt out. He’s only prolonging the war when you see him constantly delay, withhold and basically side with the invader.
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@Microinteracti1 Europe needs to handle the negotiations. The current negotiations will lead to nothing
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@Microinteracti1 What's worse, the Americans running this show have no clue what they are doing.
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@Microinteracti1 eh no , voce in capitolo lo ha chi ha più influenza, è sempre stato così, ma non mi sorprende che la classe dirigente europea non lo sappia.
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@Microinteracti1 I think you are right here. The US should have nothing to do with Ukraine, including negotiations.
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@Microinteracti1 Why are the Putin trolls negotiating anyway.
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@Microinteracti1 I am all for Europe emptying their wallets to this mini dictator. Thoughts and prayers.🙂
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@Microinteracti1 Europe is supposed to pay more, it's their continentNumbnuts
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@Microinteracti1 You've got ambassadors and telephones.
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