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Fact check: Biden gave 350 billion to ukraine

Checked on June 16, 2025

1. Summary of the results

The claim that "Biden gave 350 billion to Ukraine" is factually incorrect based on the available evidence. The analyses reveal a significant discrepancy in the figures being discussed:

  • The actual amount reported is $350 million, not $350 billion - a difference of 1,000 times the claimed amount. One source specifically states that "President Joe Biden approved $350 million in military aid to Ukraine" [1].
  • Total U.S. aid to Ukraine is substantially less than $350 billion. According to the analyses, the actual total aid provided by the U.S. to Ukraine amounts to approximately $175.2 billion across all categories of assistance [2].
  • The $350 billion figure appears to originate from Trump's statements, with one source noting that "President Trump stating that President Biden gave $350 billion, but the context and accuracy of the statement are unclear" [3].
  • Recent aid announcements are in the billions range, such as Biden announcing "an additional $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine" [4], which is consistent with the scale of actual aid packages.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks crucial context about the nature and distribution of U.S. aid to Ukraine:

  • Most aid money stays in the United States: The funds are "allocated for various purposes, including military equipment, humanitarian aid, and economic support, and most of the aid is spent in the US, not directly in Ukraine" [2].
  • Political motivations behind inflated figures: Donald Trump and his political allies benefit from exaggerating aid figures to Ukraine, as it supports their narrative of excessive foreign spending. The analyses show Trump has made statements about the $350 billion figure [3].
  • Congressional oversight concerns: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republican lawmakers benefit politically from questioning aid allocation, with Greene alleging "that Joe Biden used USAID funding as leverage to protect his son Hunter from corruption investigations in Ukraine" [5].
  • Broader conspiracy theories: The analyses reveal ongoing political narratives, including the "Biden-Ukraine conspiracy theory" which has been extensively fact-checked and found to be false [6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains significant misinformation through numerical exaggeration:

  • 1,000x inflation of actual figures: The statement inflates the actual $350 million aid package to $350 billion, representing a massive distortion of facts.
  • Lack of specificity about aid types: The statement fails to distinguish between military aid, humanitarian assistance, and economic support, presenting all aid as a single lump sum.
  • Omission of aid distribution timeline: The statement presents the aid as a single transaction rather than acknowledging it represents cumulative assistance over multiple years and through various programs.
  • Political weaponization: The exaggerated figure serves political narratives that benefit from portraying foreign aid as excessive, particularly among Trump supporters and critics of the Biden administration who gain political capital from such claims.

The analyses demonstrate that this claim represents a clear case of misinformation, likely stemming from political sources seeking to mischaracterize the scale and nature of U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

Want to dive deeper?
What is the breakdown of the 350 billion dollar aid package to Ukraine?
How does the US aid to Ukraine compare to aid given to other countries in 2024?
What are the conditions for Ukraine to receive the 350 billion dollars in aid?
How did the US Congress vote on the Ukraine aid package in 2024?
What is the role of the US in Ukraine's conflict with Russia as of 2025?