Hegseth Says Pentagon Released $400M in Ukraine Aid After Lawmaker Pressure

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Wednesday, that the Pentagon had released $400 million in congressionally approved military aid for Ukraine after weeks of pressure over the delay.

The funds were “released as of yesterday,” Hegseth said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. The issue came up during questioning on the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, as lawmakers pressed defense officials on why Ukraine aid approved by Congress had remained stalled.

The release followed sharp criticism from Sen. Mitch McConnell, who wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece that “the Ukraine aid we passed months ago is now collecting dust at the Pentagon.”

McConnell said Congress had authorized $400 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative for each of the next two years, and that appropriators had fully funded the measure for fiscal 2026 with broad support.

He also accused the Defense Department’s policy office, led by Undersecretary Elbridge Colby, of failing to explain the delay, writing that lawmakers had been “stonewalled.”

McConnell argued that backing Ukraine was “not out of charity” but “an investment in America’s security,” pointing to Ukraine’s battlefield experience with drones and counter-drone warfare as strategically valuable for the US.

Democrats also demanded answers. Rep. Sarah Elfreth pressed Hegseth on why the funding had not been disbursed sooner, despite being approved by Congress and signed into law months earlier.

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The Ukraine questions came as lawmakers scrutinized the cost of the US war in Iran.  The Wall Street Journal reported that Pentagon testimony put the cost of military operations there at about $25 billion so far, largely from munitions, aircraft and ship operations, and damaged equipment.

The scale of spending raised concerns on Capitol Hill about whether Washington can sustain military support for Ukraine and other allies while continuing the Iran campaign. Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine defended the operation, saying it was aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Hegseth also faced broader scrutiny during his first testimony since the Iran war began, including questions over the administration’s war strategy, dismissed senior officers, and comments on battlefield conduct.