Trump administration freezes funding for new weapons purchases for Ukraine – WSJ
www.pravda.com.ua
Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:12:58 +0200
US President Donald Trumps administration has halted funding for the purchase of new weapons for Ukraine in recent weeks and is considering the possibility of freezing the supply of weapons from US stockpiles.
Source The Wall Street Journal with reference to American officials, as reported by European Pravda Details The WSJ wrote that funding for the purchase of new weapons was halted in recent weeks amid the Trump administrations freezing of foreign aid.
Meanwhile, a decision on potentially blocking the main supply route of weapons to Ukraine could be made within days following President Trumps meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
Trumps administration ordered the cessation of all foreign aid at the end of January, including military assistance, except for Israel and Egypt.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a decision in recent weeks to exempt Ukraine from the ban Trump had imposed on foreign aid.
However, sources stated that senior State Department official Pete Marocco had not sent the necessary letter to the Pentagon to authorise the transfer of aid to Kyiv.
Current and former US officials familiar with the situation said the absence of this letter had effectively halted new arms supply agreements for Ukraine through the US military financing system, which is managed by the State Department and pays for arms for certain countries.
Ukraine can receive weapons from the US through several mechanisms, including the Foreign Military Financing programme, which provides loans and grants to countries for purchasing weapons from US defence companies, and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which allows the Pentagon to procure weapons for Kyiv.
However, there are no funds available for this now.
The Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the US Department of Defense to transfer weapons directly from its stockpiles, has been the most significant tool for arming Ukraine.
The White House was scheduled to hold a meeting on Monday, 3 February, to discuss the possible suspension of supplies under the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
The suspension of funding for new arms sales began even before Fridays meeting, 28 February, during which Ukraine and the US were supposed to sign the socalled minerals agreement, but instead, the ceremony and the planned press conference were cancelled.
However, the meeting on the possible suspension of ongoing arms supplies to Ukraine from US military stockpiles was convened after Fridays scandal at the White House.
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