The Trump administration formally notified Congress on April 29 that it is preparing to authorize the sale of "$50 million or more" in "defense articles" to Ukraine.
This marks the first such move under the current U.S. government.
The notification, recorded as communication EC-859, is a memo from the Senior Bureau Official, Legislative Affairs, Department of State, to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
Under the Arms Export Control Act, the document informs lawmakers of a proposed license to export "defense articles, including technical data, and defense services to Ukraine in the amount of $50 million or more."
It provided no further details about the types of weapons or services.
The development comes alongside the April 30 signing of a long-awaited minerals agreement between Ukraine and the U.S., which establishes a joint investment fund focused on future extraction and processing projects.
After months of talks, Kyiv and Washington finalized a deal structured around new investments, excluding provisions tied to past debts or existing facilities.
Ukraine has expressed readiness to deepen its defense partnership with the U.S.
On April 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky told CBS News that Ukraine is prepared to purchase 10 U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems for $15 billion to protect cities from ongoing Russian missile and drone attacks.
"We will find the money and pay for everything," Zelensky said, adding that he made the offer directly to U.S. President Donald Trump and previously to former President Joe Biden.
Trump rejected the request on April 14, accusing Zelensky of "always looking to purchase missiles" and falsely claiming that Ukraine provoked the war with Russia.
The U.S. president has consistently opposed unconditional military grants to Ukraine, pushing instead for loans or deals tied to reciprocal economic benefits.
"We are in for $350 billion, or close to it… Biden handed them $350 billion between cash and military equipment. We got nothing," Trump said during a May 1 interview with NewsNation.
"So I said, look, they have great rare earth — meaning certain minerals, materials — they have things that a lot of places do not have, big assets that they have. And we made a deal today — we get much more, in theory, than the $350 billion," he added, referencing the minerals deal.
Trump has repeatedly avoided answering whether the U.S. would continue aiding Ukraine if Russia refuses to negotiate, leaving open questions about his commitment to Kyiv's defense in the absence of peace talks.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
