The US government has agreed for the first time to send military aid to Ukraine, financed not by the US budget, but by NATO allies. This was reported by Reuters, citing two sources.
According to the publication, Deputy Defence Secretary Elbridge Colby has approved two arms deliveries worth a total of $1 billion. Each shipment is valued at $500 million. The aid packages include, in particular, air defence systems.
The information has not yet been officially confirmed, The Pentagon did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the situation.
Until now, arms deliveries to Ukraine under the Joe Biden administration have been mainly funded by the US budget. However, with the arrival of Donald Trump, the approach has changed. The president has stated that he will no longer provide weapons free of charge, which has jeopardised the sustainability of military support for Kyiv.
The agreement on the new mechanism was announced in mid-July. Now, the weapons provided by the US are paid for by NATO allies. Ukraine retains the ability to determine the priority types of weapons within the framework of packages worth $500 million, and the allies decide among themselves who will bear the costs.
