Trump Approves First $50 Million U.S. Weapons Sale to Ukraine
The Trump administration has approved its first major arms export to Ukraine since Donald Trump returned to the White House, authorizing a weapons deal valued at $50 million or more.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to diplomatic sources cited by the Kyiv Post.
On April 30, the White House formally notified Congress of its intent to permit the export of defense-related goods and services to Ukraine through the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) program. The authorization falls under the Arms Export Control Act and includes not only military hardware but also technical data and support services.
The sale also comes on the heels of a broader review of all Ukraine-related assistance, during which the Trump administration emphasized diplomacy and conflict de-escalation over prolonged military involvement. Still, analysts say the latest decision points to a more pragmatic approach.
“DCS decisions are typically kept low-profile – there’s no public announcement,” said Colby Budworth of the research group “Tochnyi”, speaking to the Kyiv Post. “The news here is basically that it [US arms sales] is continuing, despite everyone predicting that Trump would cut Ukraine off completely,” he stated.
Dr. Michael Cecire, a defense expert at Rand, a nonprofit, non-partisan research organisation, noted that maintaining military aid could strengthen U.S. leverage in future negotiations.
Since 2015, the U.S. has quietly approved more than $1.6 billion in permanent defense exports to Ukraine via DCS. The new license, while modest in scope, is seen as a message of continuity amid shifting political winds in Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently disclosed plans to purchase up to $50 billion in U.S. air defense systems and other weapons, framing the investment as part of Ukraine’s long-term security architecture. The new DCS approval could help pave the way for those ambitions.
Read the full article on The Gaze: Why Ukraine Needs to Maintain a Large Army After the War