All About the Money: US Arms Sales to Europe with a 10% Markup for Ukraine

In an interview with Fox News on August 19, 2025, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed that the United States is selling weapons to European nations, which are subsequently resold to Ukraine at a 10% markup.

The announcement coincided with reports from the Financial Times about an impending deal in which Ukraine is set to purchase $100 billion worth of US weapons, with financial support from European partners. Discussions regarding this deal took place on August 18 at the White House, attended by US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and EU leaders. Trump reiterated that there would be no American troops deployed in Ukraine, and that security guarantees for Kyiv would not resemble NATO commitments.

The Russian government has previously condemned the supply of Western arms to Ukraine, citing concerns over the potential for these weapons to end up on the black market. As of now, there have been no official responses from Kyiv or European capitals regarding the US markup.