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US Senate committee backs $500 million in Ukraine aid in 2026 defense budget

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US Senate committee backs $500 million in Ukraine aid in 2026 defense budget
The U.S. Capitol Building is seen at sunset in Washington, DC on June 22, 2025. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee approved $500 million in aid for Ukraine as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Reuters reported on July 11.

The NDAA is an annual law that approves funding and plans for the U.S. military for the coming fiscal year. The overall 2026 NDAA allocates $925 billion for national defense.

Since taking office in January, the U.S. President Donald Trump hasn't approved any new military aid to Ukraine. U.S. weapon supplies that keep flowing to Ukraine were authorized by Trump's predecessor Joe Biden. Under Trump, the future of U.S. support — on which Kyiv heavily relies — has remained uncertain.

The committee approved the bill by a vote of 26-1 on July 9.

The legislation includes a provision to extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) through 2028, increasing its authorized funding to $500 million, up from $300 million in 2025.

The bill should still pass through the full legislative process, including debate and approval by both chambers of Congress.

Days earlier, the Pentagon announced a pause in deliveries of key military aid to Kyiv, including Patriot interceptors and precision-guided munitions. In June, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also signaled that Washington may scale back financial support for Ukraine in future defense budgets.

Trump later denied involvement in the decision. As of July 10, shipments of at least some weapons to Ukraine have been reportedly resumed.

Trump said on July 10 that Washington had reached a deal under which NATO can pay for U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

The U.S. provided more than $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine under the Biden administration, including key capabilities such as Patriot air defense systems, HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), and ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems).

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Kateryna Denisova

News Editor

Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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