Weapons to Start Flowing Into Ukraine Under European Deal With Trump

Europe has begun buying American weapons for Ukraine in earnest, only weeks after President Trump struck a deal with NATO allies to do so.

The latest sale, announced by the State Department on Thursday, will send 3,500 extended-range cruise missiles and GPS navigation kits to Ukraine once Congress formally approves it, as expected. They cost $825 million, paid for by Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway, with some unspecified financial assistance from the Pentagon.

The missiles can be fired from fighter jets, and have a similar range to the Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles that Ukraine has used to strike Crimea and into Russia.

Earlier this month, the Netherlands pledged to pay for an initial $500 million package of American equipment and munitions that Ukraine said it urgently needed. The next day, Denmark, Norway and Sweden said they would finance another $500 million package of U.S.-made materiel for Ukraine.

It was not clear if the cruise missiles that were announced this week were part of either package. The missiles can be fired from the F-16 fighter jets that Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway are giving to Ukraine. Belgium is also poised to send a first shipment of the fighter jets soon.

Germany also recently pledged a big donation to Ukraine: two more Patriot air defense systems that fire missiles to intercept incoming projectiles. As part of the deal with Mr. Trump, Germany will receive priority to buy new Patriots from the United States. The systems cost about $1 billion each and can take years to build.

Ukraine is buying some military aid directly from the United States. The purchases include more than $200 million in equipment and support for howitzer guns and transportation services this month, and about $322 million in parts for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and Hawk surface-to-air missile systems in July.