Trump considers greenlighting fresh military aid package for Ukraine

US President Donald Trump is considering sending new aid to Ukraine for the first time since taking office in January, CBS News reported on Saturday, citing multiple diplomatic sources, in order to convey Washington’s support for Kyiv amid Russia’s continued campaign of drone and missile strikes.

While it is not clear where the aid would come from, US government officials told CBS News that Trump currently has access to $3.85 billion (€3.29 billion) in funding approved by former President Joe Biden accessible via the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) method, which allows the White House to supply Kyiv with weapons from US military stockpiles.

Alternatively, CBS reports, Trump has the authority to seize some $5 billion (€4.28 billion) in frozen Russian assets and transfer the money to Ukraine, although neither he nor, previously, the Biden administration, have shown a willingness to do so.

If made, the move would mark a first for the Trump administration, which has so far not authorised any new support for the PDA, a common lever of support during the Biden administration, since Trump took power in January.

On 3 July, the White House suspended its supply of weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in what the Pentagon said was a “temporary action” needed so that Washington could assess the levels of its own reserves.

Within days, however, Trump said that the US would resume sending mainly defensive weapons to Ukraine, in apparent response to the Kremlin’s continued unwillingness to end the war in Ukraine and increasingly intense airstrikes on the country.

On Tuesday, Axios reported that Trump had also promised to send 10 Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, while The Wall Street Journal wrote that the US was also considering transferring complete Patriot systems to Ukraine.

On Thursday, the US partially resumed arms shipments to Ukraine, though it appeared that the supplies were limited to artillery shells and munitions.