Ukraine has formally offered to purchase $100 billion worth of U.S. weapons—funded by European partners—in exchange for firm American security guarantees, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed in Washington after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders. The proposal, outlined in documentation shared with allies and reported by the Financial Times, also includes a $50 billion joint drone production agreement between U.S. and Ukrainian companies, signaling a deeper military-industrial collaboration aimed at anchoring Western support in Ukraine’s future defense infrastructure.
Zelenskiy characterized the package as part of a broader strategic deal: “A lasting peace shall be based not on concessions and free gifts to Putin, but on a strong security framework that will prevent future aggression,” according to the FT-backed proposal elements. At a press briefing, he reaffirmed that Ukraine’s purchase will proceed only if tied to solid security assurances and rejected any notion of territorial concessions or troop withdrawals.
President Trump, present at the summit along with leaders from Germany, France, the UK, and other EU representatives, reiterated his focus on American industrial benefit: “We’re not giving anything. We’re selling weapons,” he stated, underscoring the commercial framing of Ukraine’s proposal.
Ukrainian officials and diplomats underscored additional elements of the proposal: beyond the arms purchase, the agreement outlines joint drone production, vital for Ukraine’s future defense industry and a push for Russia to provide reparations, potentially financed through the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets held in Western institutions. Sanctions relief, according to the plan, would be contingent on full compliance with any peace agreement.
The diplomatic momentum continued as Zelenskiy announced that formal security guarantees would likely be “unpacked” and put on paper within the next 10 days, following what he described as his “best” summit yet with Trump. The proposed U.S. support may include advanced weaponry, such as aircraft and air defense systems as well as the agreed-upon purchase of Ukrainian-made drones once exports resume.
While European leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered cautious support and underscored the need for a ceasefire, no guarantee was issued on their enforcement structure. Discussions touched on developing a “coalition of the willing” to uphold post-war peace terms, but details remain unresolved.
