The Trump administration on Thursday authorized a major weapons shipment to Ukraine to aid the country in its fight against Russian invasion, intensifying pressure on Moscow to end its war on Kyiv.
The State Department notified Congress that Ukraine is using funding from allies, in addition to U.S. foreign military financing, to pay Washington for $825 million worth of weapons, including 3,350 Extended Range Attack Munition missiles and 3,350 GPS units, along with military training and technical support.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the State Department said.
The announcement comes as President Donald Trump has intensified a push to end the Russia-Ukraine war and pressed NATO allies to pay the U.S. for weapons to Kyiv, marking a distinction from the Biden administration’s foreign policy.
After European partners received intense pressure from Trump to put more financial skin in the fight, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, in early August, shelled out over one billion dollars for American weapons to send to Ukraine. The same countries, excluding Sweden, financially backed the latest purchase of $825 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, as noted in Thursday’s notice from the State Department.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has become the lead negotiator in multiple peace deals, is meeting with Ukrainian leaders in New York this week amid renewed efforts from the White House to get Kyiv and Moscow to resolve the conflict. Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month for talks on ending the war, as the White House has sought to build bridges with both countries involved in the war to bring hostilities to a lasting halt.
The Trump administration initially paused shipments of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, including Patriot air defense missiles, in a July 1 announcement.
Speaking at the time of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, Trump said, “We’re giving weapons, but we’ve given so many weapons. But we are giving weapons, and we’re working with them and trying to help them,” he added. “You know, Biden emptied out our whole country, giving them weapons. And we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell argued the decision marked a move to carry out the president’s “America First” agenda.
“We can’t give weapons to everybody all around the world. We have to look out for America and defending our homeland and our troops around the world,” he said. “The president and the secretary will make those decisions about what happens with those weapon systems, obviously, keeping in mind that the president was elected on an ‘America First’ platform to put America first.”
However, the Trump administration reversed course days later with renewed U.S. military aid shipments to Kyiv. A July 7 statement from the Pentagon argued the policy was meant to “ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.”
Still, Trump’s move to greenlight additional weapons shipments came with a caveat: demanding European NATO allies supportive of Kyiv’s war against Ukraine foot the bill for military aid. The president announced on July 14 that NATO allies would finance the purchase of “billions” of dollars of Patriot missile defense systems, Patriot air defense batteries, interceptor missiles, and other weapons for Ukraine.
“We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military; they’re going to pay us 100% for them, and that’s the way we want it,” the president said. “So, as we send equipment, they’re going to reimburse us for that equipment. Doesn’t that sound good?”
In early August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that four NATO countries had moved forward with the plan. The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark shelled out over one billion dollars for American weapons to send to Ukraine, Zelensky wrote on X.
In a statement on Thursday, the State Department noted the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark’s most recent move to purchase weapons from the U.S. to send to Kyiv. The sale was cited as an “example of working together with our NATO allies to develop a capable and scalable system capable of being delivered on a fast timeline.”
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“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the State Department said.
Ukraine has sought to build favor with Trump as it seeks continued support for its war against Russia, with Kyiv reportedly promising to buy $100 billion of American weapons financed by Europe in exchange for U.S. guarantees for its security after a peace settlement with Russia.
