Trump administration has approved the sale of weapons to Ukraine for $50 million for the first time - media
Kyiv • UNN
The Trump administration has notified Congress of its intention to allow the export of defense products to Ukraine through direct commercial sales. This decision was made despite the suspension of military aid to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the administration of US President Donald Trump informed Congress of its intention to allow the export of defense products to Ukraine through direct commercial sales (DCS) worth $50 million. This was reported by Kyiv Post, citing diplomatic sources, writes UNN.
Details
This permit - the first since Trump's return to the White House more than 100 days ago - comes just weeks after the administration suspended all military aid to Ukraine for a review of arms transfer terms. At the same time, a new priority was announced: using US influence to end the conflict through diplomacy, rather than long-term military support.
In its latest aid package to Ukraine, Congress approved the sale of weapons to Ukraine under the DCS program for more than one billion dollars. The previous US administration under President Joe Biden allowed some of these funds to be used to transfer much-needed weapons to Ukraine, which is suffering from the war. For example, fully automatic 50 mm caliber machine guns.
From 2015 to 2023, the United States quietly authorized the continuous export of defense goods and services to Ukraine under the DCS program for more than $1.6 billion.
"All DCS are quiet; they are not announced publicly like foreign military sales. The news is that this (sale of US weapons - ed.) is ongoing, despite the fact that everyone predicted that Trump would completely cut off Ukraine," Colby Badhwar, a security analyst at the "Accurate" research group, told the Washington correspondent of Kyiv Post.
The notification of the sale of the $50 million license was submitted to Congress through the Arms Export Control Act, which authorizes US presidents to control the import and export of defense goods and services, according to an official notification sent to Congress by the US Department of State's Office of Legislative Affairs.
The proposed sale covers the export of defense goods, including technical data, and defense services to Ukraine.
This move also comes weeks after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Ukraine's intention to purchase air defense systems and weapons worth $30-50 billion from the United States as a form of future security guarantees.
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Defense and security researcher at the non-profit, non-partisan research organization Rand, Dr. Michael Cesir, believes that if American military aid to Ukraine continues - whether it is a continuation of the previous package or further use of presidential powers to reduce weapons - "this will strengthen US leverage."
"The Trump administration has repeatedly stated its desire for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine. Achieving this goal will require leverage over both Kyiv and Moscow," Cesir said.
Supplement
Trump stated that the USA will be able to compensate 350 billion dollars of aid to Ukraine by gaining access to its mineral resources. Control over the agreement is entrusted to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.