Senate panel approves $500M of Ukraine aid
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) approved a $500 million defense assistance package for Ukraine amid escalating tensions with Russia.
On July 9, the SASC voted for the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a yearly bill to fund the Department of Defense. In a 26-1 vote, they extended the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2028, adding $200 million for 2026.
The Ukraine Security Assistance, created in 2015, is “a funding source for DoD security assistance to Ukraine’s military and other security forces, including intelligence support, training, equipment, logistics, supplies, and services,” according to Ukraine Oversight.
Russian strikes in Ukraine have escalated in the past few months. Tensions between the Kremlin and the White House have also exploded. On March 25, President Trump said he is “not happy with what Putin is doing,” a strong reversal compared to the early days of the presidency, when he blamed Ukraine for the war.
NATO and European allies have also ramped up defense talks against Russia.
On July 11, Trump struck a deal with NATO to send patriot batteries, a key defense mechanism against ballistic missiles, to Kyiv.
On July 10, the White House announced sending “episodic deployments” of hypersonic missiles to Germany. This improves Germany’s ability to strike Russia with long-range missiles in case of a broader regional conflict.
Additionally, NATO allies have promised to increase their contributions to NATO to 5 percent of their GDP, a policy that Trump has long awaited.
Since Trump pressured Europe to increase their defense spending and stop depending on the U.S., the EU has also signed a $162 million readiness plan. They aim to rearm Europe within 5 years, a goal which seems almost impossible, but is a warning sign to Russia.
The NDAA also restricts the retirement of A-10 aircraft. In the commander-in-chief’s June budget request, he wanted to retire the A-10 Warthogs with newer jets, according to Reuters. The draft, however, required the Department of Defense to keep at least 103 aircraft in FY2026.
The bill still has to go through the House and Senate, where military aid to Ukraine is more debated.