Trump administration approves sale of extended-range missiles to Ukraine
The Trump administration this week approved the sale of extended-range missiles and other related devices to Ukraine to bolster Kyiv’s defensive posture against Russia in a $825 million arms deal.
The agreement, which Congress was notified of, will include 3,350 Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles, 3,350 GPS units, missile containers and other related equipment and accessories, according to the State Department.
Ukraine will use funding from Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway, along with the U.S. foreign military financing, to purchase the arms package. The main contractors will be California-based Zone 5 Technologies and Virginia-based CoAspire.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the department said in the Thursday notice.
ERAM missiles have a range of up to about 250 miles.
The munitions sale comes as Russia appears to be slow walking the U.S. effort to broker a peace deal to end the war in Eastern Europe and the Kremlin’s military continues to pound Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine with missile and drone attacks.
President Trump has looked to help facilitate a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month and days later, huddling with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House.
The president has pushed to set up a meeting between Zelensky and Putin. Ukraine has been open about the potential huddle but pushed back on concessions related to a territory swap. Russian officials have so far rejected a bilateral between the leaders.
The State Department said the sale will not have “adverse impact” on the U.S. military’s readiness.
Washington revealed a $322 million weapons sale in July to boost Ukraine’s air defense systems.