US Senator Lindsey Graham told CBS that the pace and volume of Western arms sales to Ukraine could soon reach record levels.
The lawmaker was asked whether US President Donald Trump could use about $3.85 billion allocated by the previous Joe Biden administration through the PDA (Presidential Drawdown Authority) mechanism, which allows the head of state to supply weapons to a foreign partner by decree without congressional approval in the event of an emergency.
“I think he will use that authority“, Graham said, expressing the opinion that these funds will not be enough.
“I expect that in the coming days you will see record levels of arms sales to Ukraine to help them defend themselves. "I also expect that in the coming days, President Trump will have the opportunity to impose sanctions and tariffs that he was not allowed to do before," Graham continued, describing the possible restrictive measures as "a hammer that Trump will have." According to the senator, who is one of the authors of the bill on new sanctions against Russia, the restrictions could be applied primarily to China, India and Brazil.
Earlier, CBS reported, citing sources, that Trump is considering allocating additional funds for military support to Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of his presidential term. The television company predicts that the president will use $ 3.85 billion at his disposal, left over from the previous administration.
The newspaper “Politico“ reported on Friday that Trump is considering providing Ukraine with a new package of American weapons and military equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Similar information was disseminated on Thursday by the news agency “Reuters“. According to it, the volume of new arms deliveries could reach $300 million.