President Donald Trump will provide weapons to Ukraine for the first time since returning to the White House, through the right to emergency arms withdrawal from reserves, a mechanism that former President Joe Biden has used many times. Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed the decision on July 10 (local time), marking a move that showed Trump's renewed interest in supporting Ukraine.
This aid package could be worth about $300 million, selected from the US Arms Depot under the Presidential drawdown Authority (PDA). This is the right for the president to quickly transfer weapons to support allies in emergency situations, without immediate approval from the National Assembly.
The weapons package could include patriot interceptor missiles and the GMLRS medium-range rocket artillery system - two weapons that are Ukraine's top priority in the confrontation with Russia, the source said. These systems can be quickly deployed to the frontline because they are already stored in Europe. A meeting on July 10 is expected to decide which specific device will be sent.
So far, the arms shipments under Trump have only been sent based on approval from President Biden, who has been one of the most determined leaders in supporting Ukraine. The move shows a shift in the Trump administration's view on the conflict in Ukraine, which had previously ranged between support for Kiev and a soft statement to Moscow.
This week, Mr. Trump said the US will send more weapons to help Ukraine defend against increasing attacks from Russia. Previously, his administration suspended a number of important arms shipments approved by Mr. Biden, but some of them were continued to be transported.
Currently, the US still has about 3.86 billion USD in PDA budget for Ukraine. The most recent use was a $500 million package approved by Mr. Biden in early January. Since Russia launched its military campaign, the US Congress has approved nearly $175 billion in military aid and support for Ukraine.
