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https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-minerals-deal-ukraine-rare-earths-military-aid-50-million-2066533
he Trump administration has told Congress that it intends to give the go-ahead for roughly $50 million of defense-related products to be exported to Ukraine through American industry sales direct to Kyiv, according to a new report.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and Ukraine on Wednesday inked a long-awaited deal to share profits generated by the sale of Ukraine's mineral and energy reserves. It was an agreement thrown into jeopardy by rounds of tense talks, redrafts and the disastrous White House visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this year.
What To Know
Trump's team told lawmakers on Wednesday that the administration would approve at least $50 million in defense sales to Ukraine, the Kyiv Post reported.
This would be transferred under a process known as direct commercial sales (DCS); this is when the State Department grants a U.S. company permission to sell directly to a foreign buyer, rather than sales going through the Pentagon's Foreign Military Sales program.
It is not clear how far $50 million would go toward Ukraine's war effort. Zelensky last month offered to pay in the region of $15 billion for 10 of the in-demand but scarce Patriot air defense systems. Each Patriot battery comes with an estimated price tag of $1.5 billion, every interceptor missile costing several million dollars.
A State Department official said the U.S. was "restricted under Federal law and regulations from confirming the licensing status of U.S. companies or entities or speaking to specific details on individual defense trade export licensing cases."
Between 2015 and 2023, the U.S. greenlit the permanent exports of more than $1.6 billion worth of defense equipment and services to Ukraine through direct commercial sales, including $232 million in ammunition, according to the State Department.
he Trump administration has told Congress that it intends to give the go-ahead for roughly $50 million of defense-related products to be exported to Ukraine through American industry sales direct to Kyiv, according to a new report.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and Ukraine on Wednesday inked a long-awaited deal to share profits generated by the sale of Ukraine's mineral and energy reserves. It was an agreement thrown into jeopardy by rounds of tense talks, redrafts and the disastrous White House visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this year.
What To Know
Trump's team told lawmakers on Wednesday that the administration would approve at least $50 million in defense sales to Ukraine, the Kyiv Post reported.
This would be transferred under a process known as direct commercial sales (DCS); this is when the State Department grants a U.S. company permission to sell directly to a foreign buyer, rather than sales going through the Pentagon's Foreign Military Sales program.
It is not clear how far $50 million would go toward Ukraine's war effort. Zelensky last month offered to pay in the region of $15 billion for 10 of the in-demand but scarce Patriot air defense systems. Each Patriot battery comes with an estimated price tag of $1.5 billion, every interceptor missile costing several million dollars.
A State Department official said the U.S. was "restricted under Federal law and regulations from confirming the licensing status of U.S. companies or entities or speaking to specific details on individual defense trade export licensing cases."
Between 2015 and 2023, the U.S. greenlit the permanent exports of more than $1.6 billion worth of defense equipment and services to Ukraine through direct commercial sales, including $232 million in ammunition, according to the State Department.
