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Trump Administration Reportedly Approves First $50 Million Arms Sale to Ukraine
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Trump administration notified Congress of its intent to approve direct commercial sales (DCS) of defense-related products to Ukraine valued at $50 million or more, Kyiv Post reported, citing diplomatic sources on May 1.
This marks the first such approval since Donald Trump returned to the White House over 100 days ago. The announcement comes on the heels of a broad review of all Ukraine-related military assistance—part of what the administration describes as a shift toward diplomacy and negotiated settlement over prolonged military engagement.
The DCS program allows foreign partners to purchase American defense equipment directly from US companies, unlike the government-managed Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process.
According to Congress’ most recent aid package, over $1 billion in potential DCS transactions for Ukraine had been greenlit. The Biden administration previously used this channel to supply urgently needed weapons, including fully automatic .50 caliber machine guns.
Between 2015 and 2023, the US authorized more than $1.6 billion in permanent DCS transfers to Ukraine. These transfers typically fly under the radar.
“All DCS are quiet; they don’t get announced publicly like Foreign Military Sales,” said Colby Badhwar, a security assistance analyst at the research group Tochnyi. “The news here is basically that it [US arms sales] is continuing, despite everyone predicting that Trump would cut Ukraine off completely.”
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The $50 million notification, reviewed by Kyiv Post, was sent to Congress under the Arms Export Control Act, which allows the President to regulate the export of defense articles and services. The proposed transaction includes military equipment, technical data, and defense services.
The development comes just weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed plans to purchase between $30 billion and $50 billion in US air defense and weapons systems as part of long-term security guarantees.
Dr. Michael Cecire, a defense analyst at RAND Corporation, believes this DCS move could help Washington retain strategic influence.
“If US military aid for Ukraine continues—whether through an existing package or a new drawdown authority—it will strengthen US leverage,” Cecire told Kyiv Post.
“The Trump administration has repeatedly communicated its desire for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine. To achieve its goal will require leverage with both Kyiv and Moscow.”
Earlier, Trump indicated that certain actions by Russian leader Vladimir Putin could lead him to side with Ukraine.
During the conversation with Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, Trump was asked whether Putin could do something that would prompt him to align with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
-a80eca3386f843ec2c53278e18ae1131.jpg "Rare Footage Shows Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Unit Launching Multiple Chaklun-V UAVs at Night, Video")
