Trump signs defense spending bill into law, providing $400 million annually in military assistance to Ukraine through 2027
U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a $900 billion defense spending bill on Dec. 18, approving a sweeping package that includes $800 million in military assistance for Ukraine.
“The Act will enable the Department of War to carry out my Peace Through Strength agenda, protect the homeland from domestic and foreign threats, and strengthen the defense industrial base,” Trump said in a statement released by the White House.
The bill cleared the U.S. Senate on Dec. 17 in a bipartisan 77–20 vote, after passing the House of Representatives last week in a 312-112 vote.
Under the legislation, Ukraine is set to receive $400 million annually in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), a Pentagon-run program that finances weapons contracts with U.S. defense companies.
Also, the proposal requires the Defense Department to notify Congress within 48 hours of any decision to restrict intelligence sharing with Ukraine, according to Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna.
Beyond direct funding for Kyiv, the bill also includes provisions affecting U.S. military posture in Europe.
The legislation bars the Pentagon from reducing the number of troops "permanently stationed in or deployed" to Europe below 76,000 for longer than 45 days.
Additionally, it increases salaries for service members, allocates more funds to the Golden Dome air defense shield, strengthens military posture in the Indo-Pacific region, and authorizes deployment of active-duty troops at the U.S.-Mexican border.
The bill also authorizes $175 million for the Baltic Security Initiative, to support the defense capabilities of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
The sum allocated to Ukraine by Congress represents only a small fraction of the overall military aid the U.S. has provided since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion, which amounted to $67 billion by the start of Trump's term.
