US unlocks $400 mln in aid to Ukraine after Senate criticism
The transfer of funds follows pointed criticism from leading Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. McConnell, who heads the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, accused the US Department of Defense of unnecessarily delaying the disbursement in an op-ed for The Washington Post.
McConnell also reminded readers that Elbridge Colby was involved in last year's decision to freeze arms shipments to Ukraine.
Amid these criticisms, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told the House Appropriations Committee on April 29 that the funds had been transferred the day before.
"This money was allocated to enhance the capacity of European countries, and yesterday (Tuesday, April 28) it was transferred," Hegseth stated, without providing further details.
The funding in question was part of the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress in December 2025. The bill allocates 400 million US dollars for the 2026 fiscal year for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). Under this program, the Pentagon purchases essential equipment from US defense contractors. The initiative itself has been extended through 2029.
This means 400 million US dollars is to be allocated for both 2026 and 2027, totaling 800 million US dollars. However, as The Hill noted, given Ukraine's military needs, this is "a relatively modest contribution."
The funds will support the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which aims to improve the Ukrainian Armed Forces' ability to defend the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, back institutional reforms, and advance broader US political and military objectives.
Background
As previously reported, leaders of both chambers of Congress have agreed on the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) text, which includes 800 million US dollars in military assistance to Ukraine and increases in Pentagon funding, amid President Donald Trump's heightened security priorities.
Additionally, last August, a bipartisan group of US senators introduced a bill providing 54.6 billion US dollars in aid to Ukraine over the next two years.
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4 of May 2026
