Trump Praised for First US Weapons Sale to Ukraine

Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba has praised former President Donald Trump for selling Ukraine "the first American weapons."

Trump did approve the sale of Javelin missiles to Ukraine in late 2017, while the country's military continued to fight pro-Russia separatists years after the outbreak of war in February 2014. Some considered the move risky at the time due to fears of provoking Moscow.

The former president has given mixed signals about his stance on the U.S. providing aid to Ukraine during its current direct military conflict with Russia, both criticizing President Joe Biden for aiding Ukraine and suggesting that Kyiv should receive more aid.

During an interview published by Ukraine's New Voice on Wednesday, Kuleba expressed optimism that Trump would continue U.S. aid to Ukraine if he wins back the White House in November, saying that he "is a person you can work with, you just need to be able to work with him."

"Who sold the first American weapons to Ukraine? President Trump - Javelins," Kuleba said. "Who started the program of free transfer of the first naval vessels, Island and Mark-6 type boats to Ukraine? Trump. Who fought Nord Stream 2 and sanctioned the famous but now forgotten Russia's Fortuna vessel that laid this pipeline? It was Trump."

"Despite all the stories written by various magazines that there will be a big deal between Putin and Trump ... [it is] impossible," he added. "There won't be any big deals between Putin and anyone ... There are a lot of 'ifs,' but Ukraine should not fear anything, no elections and no current or future politicians."

Kuleba conceded that dealing with Trump would "be completely different" than dealing with the Biden administration, while stressing that Ukraine was "extremely grateful for everything" the current president has done.

Newsweek reached out for comment to Trump's office via email on Wednesday.

While Trump and many of his allies have seemingly became less enthusiastic about aiding Ukraine as the war drags on, the former president repeatedly took credit for Ukraine's military success in the immediate aftermath of Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022.

Speaking to Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo less than two weeks after the conflict kicked off, Trump said that "Russia has gotten in deeper than they ever thought possible" because of "the weapons that I gave and that the Ukrainians used so well."

During a rally in South Carolina days later, the ex-president boasted that he "sent the Javelins that you've seen are so effective against the tanks," while pointing out that "Biden didn't." He also claimed that the invasion never would have happened if he were still in office.

Trump failed to mention that the missiles were sold to Ukraine on the condition that they not be used "on the front line," with the sale essentially serving as a type of deterrent but likely having little to do with Ukraine's response to the eventual Russian invasion.

Only months after agreeing to sell the missiles to Ukraine, Trump allegedly withheld further military aid to the country while attempting to pressure newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden—the matter that led to Trump's first impeachment by the U.S. House.

The ex-president also suggested during a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, last summer that aid to Ukraine should be withheld until completion of an investigation into "the Biden crime family's corrupt business dealings."

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he would be able to end the war himself within "24 hours" of negotiation. Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have dismissed the claim.

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