The Trump administration has told members of Congress it will not finish spending $400 million authorized for Ukraine aid until fiscal year 2029, even as Kyiv runs critically low on weapons to fend off Russian missile attacks, Reuters reported on Monday.
The Department of Defense sent a letter to lawmakers in May outlining its spending plan, a source familiar with the document said. However, two months later, the funds have still not been disbursed or even obligated by being put on contract.
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The spending plan was set to cover $400 million for capacity building, funding equipment, training, and services for Ukrainian forces to defend against the Russian incursion.
Items in the plan also include $200 million for weapons, ammunition, and explosives, $99.9 million for vehicles, spares, and equipment, and $100 million for services such as transportation of defense articles to Ukraine.
The delivery timeline said the funds would be obligated during fiscal 2026, which ends on Sept. 30, with final delivery of all assistance estimated by Sept. 30, 2029 – just months before Trump’s second term ends on Jan. 20, 2029.
Criticism on aid delay
Members of Congress from both parties have criticized the Pentagon for sitting on aid that lawmakers backed last year.
Two sources said members of Congress were unhappy about the timeline, which they consider unusually slow for an ongoing conflict of this size.
At a hearing last week with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin asked about the spending plan.
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“If you’re talking about air defenses and the momentum alongside Zelensky, what impact will it have if we can’t fund this for three years?” Durbin asked.
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell published an editorial in April criticizing the delay in military aid, however, Trump’s fellow Republicans who control Congress, have not outwardly pushed him on the issue.
As a result, many are accusing Trump and his supporters of slow-walking aid.
Under US law, the president is legally required to spend funds appropriated by Congress and cannot unilaterally block them. Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 came after the Government Accountability Office ruled that his administration broke the law by withholding defense funds for Ukraine.
Zelensky to meet Trump, attend Graham funeral
President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, where he will press for urgently needed air defense capabilities and complete a drone deal with the US, a source familiar with the plans said.
After that meeting, Zelensky is expected to meet with all 100 senators at the US Capitol, as the House of Representatives is out of Washington for its summer recess.
Zelensky will also attend the funeral of the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally who championed Ukraine aid and sanctions on Russia. Graham’s sudden death raised questions about whether Trump’s recent tilt in favor of Kyiv would last without Graham’s advocacy.
Notably, Trump has recently taken a positive tone toward Ukraine, signing off on a proposal to give Kyiv a license to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles and signaling he would sign a Russia sanctions bill put forward by Graham.
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