Trump greenlights first direct arms sale to Ukraine, partially lifts aid hold

On April 30, the Trump administration informed Congress of its decision to approve the export of defence-related products to Ukraine, marking the first such approval since Trump’s return to office over 100 days ago.

The approval, which involves direct commercial sales (DCS) worth $50 million or more, signals a shift in the administration’s approach to Ukraine-related military aid, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Ukrainian media outlet Kyiv Post.

This move follows a recent decision by the Trump administration to pause all Ukraine-related military assistance for review. The administration emphasised a new approach focused on using U.S. influence to push for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict, rather than continuing prolonged military support.

The latest aid package approved by Congress for Ukraine included more than $1 billion in DCS-related arms sales. Under the previous administration, led by President Joe Biden, some of these funds were used to send urgently needed weapons to Ukraine, such as fully automatic .50 caliber machine guns.

From 2015 to 2023, the U.S. had authorised the permanent export of over $1.6 billion worth of defence articles and services to Ukraine via DCS. These sales, unlike Foreign Military Sales (FMS), are typically not publicly announced, which is why this new approval stands out.

Colby Badhwar, a security assistance analyst at Tochnyi, a research group, told Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent that the main significance of this approval is that it demonstrates U.S. arms sales to Ukraine will continue, despite earlier predictions that the Trump administration might cut off support entirely.

The official $50 million sale license notice was submitted to Congress through the Arms Export Control Act, a U.S. law that grants the President authority to manage the import and export of defense articles and services. This notice, sent by the State Department’s Legislative Affairs office, outlines the export of defence articles, technical data, and defense services to Ukraine.

This move also follows an announcement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who recently revealed plans to purchase $30-$50 billion worth of air defence systems and other weapons from the U.S. as part of future security guarantees for Ukraine.

Dr. Michael Cecire, a defence and security expert at Rand Corporation, believes that continuing U.S. military aid to Ukraine—whether through this newly approved sale or future exercises of presidential drawdown authority—will strengthen U.S. leverage in the ongoing conflict.

“The Trump administration has consistently expressed its goal of achieving a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine,” Dr. Cecire explained. “To reach this objective, it will need to wield leverage with both Kyiv and Moscow.”

By Tamilla Hasanova