The U.S. Department of Defense has authorized the release of $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine, funds that had previously been held up within the Pentagon. This announcement was made during a House Armed Services Committee hearing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegset.
Representative Sara Elfreth inquired about the timeline for Ukraine to receive the approved funds, which Congress had sanctioned last year through bipartisan support for Ukraine’s defense. Hegset confirmed that the funds had been released for contracting purposes.
“The Department acknowledges that the $400 million was allocated for building European capability, and as of yesterday, those funds have been released for contract,” Hegset stated.
When asked by Elfreth about the actual delivery of weapons to Ukraine, Hegset indicated that this would depend on what Ukraine decides to purchase with the allocated funds. He noted that the Pentagon would follow the guidance of the U.S. European Command (EUCOM), which oversees the distribution of these resources.
This funding is part of the broader $400 million allocated by Congress within the fiscal year 2026 defense budget for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). This initiative aims to facilitate the production of priority weaponry by American companies for Ukraine’s defense forces. An additional $400 million is earmarked under the same program for the fiscal year 2027.
Prior to the hearing, Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman Mitch McConnell criticized the Pentagon for the prolonged delays in contracting these funds. He linked the holdup to Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Ely Ratner, whose political office, according to McConnell, had been uncooperative in explaining the reasons for the delays to senators.
McConnell further noted that Ratner had been involved in the decision to suspend arms shipments to Kyiv last year and had previously excluded aid to Ukraine and the Baltic states from the Pentagon’s 2026 budget proposal, labeling it as “wasteful.” Congress later restored this funding.
During the hearing, Elfreth pointed out that Ukraine is leveraging its combat experience against Russia more effectively than other U.S. allies in the Middle East, particularly in intercepting Iranian drones that pose threats to American and allied forces in the region.
The U.S. Department of Defense has released $400 million in military aid to Ukraine after previous delays, as confirmed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegset during a congressional hearing. This funding is part of a broader initiative aimed at enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities.