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US approves $322 mn in arms sales to Ukraine; German government moves to speed up military procurement
US approves $322 mn in arms sales to Ukraine; German government moves to speed up military procurement
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) July 23, 2025

The United States on Wednesday announced the approval of $322 million in arms sales to bolster Ukraine's air defenses and its armored combat vehicles.

The announcement of the sales comes after Washington temporarily halted some weapons shipments to Ukraine earlier this month even as Kyiv faced heavy Russian missile and drone attacks.

The sale of HAWK air defense equipment and sustainment will cost up to $172 million, while Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle equipment and services will total up to $150 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said.

The proposed HAWK equipment sale "will improve Ukraine's capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions with a more robust air defense capability," DSCA said.

And the Bradley equipment and services will help meet Ukraine's "urgent need to strengthen local sustainment capabilities to maintain high operational rates for United States provided vehicles and weapon systems," it said.

The State Department approved the possible sales and the DSCA provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transactions.

The latest proposed military sale to Ukraine follows another announced in early May valued at $310.5 million for F-16 training and sustainment.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022 and has shown little willingness to end the conflict despite pressure from the United States.

Under former president Joe Biden, Washington committed to providing more than $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.

But President Donald Trump -- long skeptical of assistance for Ukraine -- has not followed suit, announcing no new military aid packages for Kyiv since he returned to office in January.

German government moves to speed up military procurement
Berlin (AFP) July 23, 2025 - Germany's government on Wednesday approved a draft bill to speed up military procurement as Berlin moves to build up its armed forces in the face of wavering US commitment to European security.

The plans would make it easier for defence firms to receive advance payments from the state to start production sooner, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told journalists.

Contracts worth less than 443,000 euros ($520,000) will also be exempt from the full procurement process, up from a current limit of 15,000 euros, Pistorius said.

The threshold will rise to one million euros for construction projects, he added.

He said the proposed bill represented a "quantum leap" for Germany's armed forces, unblocking progress on about 12,000 procurement processes.

The changes will address the "jumble of regulations" that hindered "quickly building up Germany's defence readiness", he added.

Presenting the bill alongside Pistorius, Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said Germany needed to become "technologically and industrially stronger than potential aggressors".

"That is how we preserve peace," Reiche added.

Berlin has rushed to rearm itself following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, accelerating that process after US President Donald Trump urged Europe to take more responsibility for its own defence.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to build Europe's "strongest conventional army" to counter a perceived threat from Moscow.

That represents a radical shift in a country with strong pacifist traditions due to its Nazi past.

Spending on Germany's armed forces is expected to reach 162 billion euros in 2029, more than triple Germany's defence budget before the war in Ukraine.

To become law, the cabinet's draft bill still needs to be passed by Germany's parliament.

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