On December 7, 2025, U.S. lawmakers introduced a $900 billion defense bill in national security spending, which includes an annual $400 million aid to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) for 2026 through 2027.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the proposed bill, which includes an $8 billion increase over the White House’s request, would renew authorization for the USAI program, a Pentagon-led initiative that provides weapons to the country by contracting with US defense companies.
Additionally, it would result in a pay hike for service members, require a stronger U.S. military presence, expand support for the Golden Dome air defense system, and approve deployment of active-duty personnel at the US–Mexico border.
National Defense Authorization Act 2026 and 2027 $400M each Ukraine pic.twitter.com/JFxTVjpOJ1
— MariaBetty (@MariaBetty__) December 8, 2025
The updated legislation is expected to be put to a vote in the US House of Representatives sometime this week. According to European Pravda, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s ambassador in Washington, revealed that the legislation includes a provision that condemns the abduction of 20,000 Ukrainian children by Russia and demands their release.
The ambassador also shared that the bill would make it necessary for the Pentagon to notify Congress within 48 hours in case of any plan to limit intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Stefanishyna also noted that the USAI program is being extended until 2029.
The latest update comes in the wake of renewed pressure from Washington on Kyiv to accept a peace deal with Moscow, even if it requires difficult concessions. Meanwhile, Congress is urging frequent reporting of aid provided to Kyiv by its European allies. This comes after Washington’s call for Europe to shoulder the responsibility of supporting Ukraine.
🇺🇸🇺🇦 The legislation reauthorizes the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative at $400 million per year for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Congress will also require more frequent reporting on allied contributions to Ukraine to track how European partners support Kyiv, – Fox News pic.twitter.com/N6J6gVYfsT
— MAKS 25 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) December 8, 2025
Unlike the Biden administration, President Donald Trump has has largely scaled back assistance to the Zelensky-led nation while aiming to facilitate a swift peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. Trump has also mostly refrained from allocating new defense aid packages under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a tool often used by former President Joe Biden.
Weapons to Ukraine are instead being sold through NATO partners, with the help of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). As per Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, since its launch in August 2025, around 21 countries have joined the PURL initiative, contributing more than $4 billion.
The amount approved by Congress only accounts for a minor portion of the overall military aid the States has provided since Russia’s full-scale invasion, amounting to $67 billion around the beginning of Donald Trump’s term.
🇺🇸💰🇺🇦The #Trump admin plans to allocate $400 million for military support to #Ukraine next year, according to the draft defense budget for the 2026 fiscal year, published on the Congress website. The same amount is also planned for 2027. pic.twitter.com/Bx77X4T0VV
— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) December 8, 2025
