The proposed budget for the United States in 2027 does not allocate specific funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), indicating no new financial provisions for this program. This information emerged during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
During the session, senators sought clarification from representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense regarding the absence of funding for USAI in the budget request. The discussion highlighted a previous bipartisan Congressional act that allocated $400 million for Ukraine, which was received in March, although its distribution is still ongoing.
“Yes, that is correct. There is no funding for USAI in this budget,” stated Jules Gerst, the acting chief financial officer of the Department of Defense.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded to a question from Senator Angus King of Maine about USAI funding, emphasizing that Washington expects greater financial contributions from European nations.
“We want Europe to step up, fund, and take on this burden. These are wealthy countries with a combined wealth of $20 trillion compared to a $2 trillion economy. Europe can step forward, Europe can fund this… If it is so important to Europe, then European countries should pay for it,” he remarked.
The hearing also presented a comparison of support levels for Ukraine from the U.S. and Europe, revealing that European nations are expected to provide 99% of the support in 2026.
The USAI program, established during President Joe Biden’s administration, focuses on the procurement of military equipment from defense contractors by the Pentagon.
Previously, Hegseth noted that the U.S. had released $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, which had been approved by Congress in December 2025.
The 2027 U.S. budget proposal lacks new funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, as revealed in a Senate hearing. Officials highlighted the expectation for increased financial support from European nations.