Trump considering sending new funds to Ukraine for first time since taking office, CBS News reports
U.S. President Donald Trump is considering authorizing additional funding for Ukraine for the first time since the start of his term, CBS News reported on July 12, citing multiple diplomatic sources.
The news comes shortly after Reuters reported that Trump plans to greenlight new weapons for Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority for the first time, heralding a major shift in his administration's approach to military aid.
Sources told CBS News that the funds for Kyiv may be part of a message the White House hopes to send Russia, which has drastically ramped up mass missile and drone attacks against Ukraine in recent months.
It is not clear where these new funds for Ukraine would come from, but current and former U.S. officials outlined some possible options. Trump has around $3.85 billion from the Presidential Drawdown Authority remaining from former U.S. President Joe Biden, officials said.
Trump also has the power to confiscate about $5 billion in frozen Russian assets and channel those funds to Ukraine, former officials said. Neither Trump nor Biden have previously exercised that authority.
Reports of new U.S. aid for Ukraine come ahead of a "major statement" on Russia that Trump is expected to make on July 14. Trump teased the announcement after expressing frustration with Russia and its escalating attacks.
"I'm disappointed in Russia, but we'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks," Trump told NBC News on July 10. "I think I'll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday."
Trump also said he had worked out an agreement with NATO to transfer U.S. weapons to Ukraine.
"We're sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%. So what we're doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons (to Ukraine), and NATO is paying for those weapons," he said.
Trump has previously criticized U.S. military aid to Ukraine, lambasting Biden for the billions of dollars sent to Kyiv following Russia's full-scale invasion. His administration has not authorized any additional weapons or funding for Ukraine and has said it plans to reduce the amount of military aid to Ukraine in its upcoming defense budget.
The Pentagon in early July also halted Ukraine-bound shipments of weapons — including vital air defense munitions — citing concerns over dwindling U.S. stockpiles. Washington has reportedly since resumed some deliveries, though questions remain about the flow of weapons and Trump's involvement in the decision.
But in recent days Trump's attitude appears to have shifted. He is reportedly considering providing Ukraine with another U.S. Patriot air defense battery and is working with NATO partners to get weapons to Kyiv. His upcoming statement on Russia could also signal new willingness to mount pressure on Moscow — a step his administration has been slow to take.
Russia's wave of mass attacks have upended Trump's hopes of securing a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine and drew rare criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin from the White House.
