US Clears $2.7 Billion Air Defence Package for Ukraine, Pending Congressional Review
The United States State Department has approved a potential $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine covering air defence development upgrades along with related equipment and services, according to a congressional notification issued late on Friday, September 18.
The approval does not mean the deal is complete. Major foreign military sales in the United States must go through congressional review, and the notification formally begins that process. Lawmakers may approve, modify or block the proposed package.
According to the State Department, Ukraine would finance the purchase through a combination of European contributions and US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) appropriated during the administration of former president Joe Biden. FMF is grant assistance that enables partner countries to buy weapons and defence equipment produced in the United States.
The department said the FMF amount would be counted as a US capital contribution to the Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund through a one-to-one reimbursement. That fund was established as part of a minerals agreement signed between the United States and Ukraine last year.
The package as described in the notification includes S-300 clone missiles, GAM-67 missiles, range-extended air defence laser-guided rocket missile systems, launcher and mobile launching system modification kits, and counter-drone system radars, among other weapons systems.
The proposed sale comes amid continuing efforts to define the shape of Western military support for Ukraine. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and the war has continued since then, with air defence remaining a central requirement for Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
President Donald Trump had said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine when he took office, but that goal remains unmet. Earlier on Friday, he signed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill into law, a step that opens the way for increased economic pressure on Moscow.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would ask European nations to pay back the United States for military aid and munitions previously sent to Ukraine. The financing structure outlined in the State Department notification, which combines European contributions with US grant assistance appropriated under the previous administration, reflects the continuing effort to share the cost of supporting Ukraine among allies.
It is not yet clear when Congress will complete its review of the proposed sale or whether the full package will proceed unchanged. The State Department's notification is a required step in the process, not a final agreement, and the sale would only be concluded if Ukraine and the relevant US agencies finalise terms.
