Filenews 9 July 2025
Three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and other Western nations (notably the EU) have offered tens of billions of dollars in aid to Kyiv, with no end in sight to the bloody conflict on the horizon.
In the most recent Trump-Putin phone call, the Russian president did not show that he was interested in a peace agreement and then publicly expressed his desire for "all of Ukraine". After the two presidents communicated, Moscow launched new bombings against Ukraine.
According to the CBC, in June 2025 Russia launched about 5,500 rockets and missiles against Ukraine. Another report says Russia is planning attacks on Ukraine with 1,000 drones a day in August. Western support for Kiev has not stopped the Russians. Is there a way for Trump to make Russia pay for all of this and change the situation?
Let's see how Russia finances the war.
The numbers don't lie
The Russian invasion has caused more than $552 billion in damage. In terms of the economy, growth, but also by "stealing" from the opposing camp. The distribution is impressive:
– €14.4 billion. in "stolen" industrial equipment
– $4 billion. in theft and destruction of cultural property
– More than 1,150 businesses seized
– Almost 800 million euros in stolen grain
– $600 million; in looted steel products
– $176 billion; in damaged infrastructure
– $10.3 billion; dollars in agricultural damages
Thefts and damages continue...
Oil and gas: Why are we still financing Putin?
While U.S. taxpayers are sending aid to Ukraine, Western states continue to buy Russian oil and gas, financing Putin's military operations. Since February 2022, Western states have purchased Russian energy worth three times the amount of financial aid provided to Ukraine. In short, while Russia is waging war in Ukraine, stealing and destroying its assets, the U.S. and its allies are funding Moscow, and defending in... slow motion in Kiev. If this practice continues and at the same time the U.S. stops providing aid to Ukraine, we are headed for a victory for Russia and an embarrassing retreat for Washington.
How to help Ukraine win the war
At this point, I would like to mention that I was a former president of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation and I am a senior advisor to the Centre for Eastern European Democracy in Toronto.
That said, according to the distinguished writer and historian Timothy Ash, supporting Ukraine to win the war would cost about $150 billion. per year. Is the project expensive? Certainly. But compare that to the $4.5 trillion. dollars that NATO will have to spend over the next decade if Ukraine loses. Consider: if Ukraine loses, millions of refugees will flood Europe in a westward direction, including North America. Subsequently, the global economy may be destabilized. A stronger, more provocative Russia could come into conflict with NATO and therefore significantly increase defense spending. China, seeing European interest in the East weakening, will be encouraged to strike at Taiwan. North Korea will become more assertive. Let's face it: the Russian threat is immediate and real not only for Ukraine, but for all of us. The reality is that China is a long-term adversary that we could face one day. A Russian defeat will weaken it. This is not an argument in favour of "charity" or endless U.S. support in foreign wars. It's about sober thinking about how to weaken America's most dangerous enemy now, while keeping U.S. troops out of danger. Russian forces must abandon Ukrainian territories – full stop.
How to pay for Russia for the invasion
First, the latest figures show that total U.S. aid to Ukraine as of 2022 amounts to about $185 billion. dollars. Europe has contributed slightly more. Meanwhile, Russian state assets worth $330 billion of dollars that have been pledged to banks in the West remain "untouched". According to Timothy Ash, this money could fund Ukraine's defense and reconstruction for the next three years. In the past, the U.S. has seized Iraqi and Afghan funds for similar reasons. The law can - and must - be updated so that Russian assets are now confiscated. If the U.S. acts quickly and decisively, its allies, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe, are likely to follow suit. This is what leadership means. That means "America first."
Second, Washington needs to think better about some things. Europe and other Westerners should not buy energy from Russia, but from the U.S., Canada and other allies. Such a change would keep Western money in safe hands, create jobs at home, and stop the flow of capital to the Kremlin. Any country that continues to buy Russian oil and gas, such as China, India, Turkey, Brazil and some EU member states, will have to face severe U.S. sanctions. Instead of Russia having three times the revenue from selling oil and gas to the Westerners compared to the financial aid Ukraine has received since February 2022, let's ensure that that money stays with the US and its allies. We cannot afford to finance both warring sides in this war
In short, helping Ukraine with money from Russian frozen assets and putting the brake on Moscow's revenues from oil and gas sales, redirecting "cut revenues" to the West, strengthens the U.S., prevents U.S. troops from engaging in war zones, and saves trillions of dollars for U.S. taxpayers and other states in the future.
Why should we support Ukraine?
For more than 30 years, Ukraine has been an ally of the United States. From Iraq to Afghanistan and beyond, Ukrainians have fought alongside U.S. forces in every major conflict since 1991. Russia has followed a very different path. Putin's Russia is constantly trying to weaken the United States. It has attempted to interfere in the U.S. election, launched cyberattacks on our energy infrastructure, supplied weapons, and financed hostile regimes from Iran to North Korea. These are not the actions of an adversary – they are the actions of an enemy.
Meanwhile, against a small portion of the U.S. defense budget, Ukraine has significantly weakened Russia's military forces. Over 1 million Russian soldiers have been either killed or wounded. The once mighty Black Sea Fleet has been decimated. Russia's oil, gas and defense industry facilities have come under heavy attack. Russia has been forced to send prisoners and North Korean soldiers to the front. All this is happening because of Ukraine and without a single American soldier on the ground.
Support for Ukraine is not charity. Let's not forget the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, when Ukraine gave up the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees from the US, UK and Russia. Turning our backs on Kiev now sends a dangerous message: the U.S. word means nothing. Instead, we must send the clear message that defending Ukraine means security for the U.S. as well, while promoting global stability and strong support for those who share the same values as the U.S.
Trump's next steps
The only way to secure Americans, their jobs, their security, and their wallets is obvious:
– Seize frozen Russian assets to pay for Ukraine's defense now.
– Encourage Canada and the EU to follow your example, thus holding Russia accountable.
– Expand U.S. and allied energy exports to replace Russian supplies.
– Imposing sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil and gas
– Support Ukraine to keep U.S. troops at home and taxpayers away from the "tweezers."
If we have learned anything from our history with the Soviet Union, it is that political change in Eastern Europe is possible even when we are dealing with a nuclear power. How else would we deal with Russia today? We have shown how Trump can make Russia pay for the war and end it. And this must be a true "America First" policy.
