Washington delays military aid to Ukraine worth around €349.6 million until the next president

The U.S. administration has refused to transfer to Ukraine the additional military aid worth approximately €349.6 million approved by Congress.

This was stated by Senator Dick Durbin at a hearing on Capitol Hill.

According to Durbin, the funds will not be available until the next American president takes office.

“The payment plan tells us to be ready to spend these funds in fiscal year 29. That decision will be made by the new president, whoever that may be,” the senator said (as quoted by TASS).

In April, the Pentagon confirmed it would allocate approximately €349.6 million in aid to Ukraine in 2026. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated at the time that the funding “was intended to strengthen European capabilities.” Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst clarified that the funds had not yet been contracted and that their use would depend on what military equipment Ukraine wished to purchase.

The day before, Hegseth urged the Senate to allocate financial assistance to the U.S. military, warning that without it the country would have to cut current and future combat training as well as reduce military personnel salaries. According to Pentagon estimates, the war with Iran has already cost the United States approximately €32.8 billion.

The U.S. military spending bill for fiscal year 2026, which began on October 1, includes approximately €808.6 billion, of which around €437.1 million is designated for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), extended through 2028. The House of Representatives previously passed its own version of the defense budget totaling approximately €786.7 billion, which allocated around €349.6 million for aid to Ukraine. Disagreements between the two chambers of Congress significantly affect the volume and timeliness of funding.

The Pentagon has repeatedly warned that without congressional approval, funds for replenishing its own weapons stockpiles transferred to Ukraine could run out, potentially undermining U.S. combat readiness. In late 2023, it was reported that the Pentagon could lose approximately €5.1 billion if Congress did not renew the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program for the next fiscal year, as those funds expire on October 1.