Pentagon accused by American senator of halting $400 million Ukraine aid
US Senate (Photo: Getty Images)
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell stated that the US Department of Defense is delaying the provision of military aid to Ukraine, reports The Washington Post.
Funds approved but not disbursed
The statement refers to a $400 million package allocated for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
This program involves the Pentagon purchasing weapons and equipment from American defense companies.
The funding was approved under the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress in December 2025.
Accusations against the Pentagon
According to McConnell, the allocated funds are effectively not being used and have become stuck inside the Defense Department.
The senator noted that members of the Senate Appropriations Committee sent a request to the Pentagon's analytical division but received no response.
Role of the analytical division
The unit that lawmakers contacted is headed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby.
As McConnell claims, Colby was previously involved in the decision to suspend weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
Budget disputes
Furthermore, Colby has been critical of spending on support for Ukraine and US allies in the Baltic states, calling such programs wasteful.
As a result, these priorities were not included in the initial budget request for fiscal year 2026.
Congress's position
However, the Republican majority in both chambers of Congress did not support this approach and restored funding for Ukraine aid to the final version of the bill.
Despite this, according to the senator, the funds have still not reached their intended destination.
In the coming quarter, Ukraine will receive the first defense support package from the EU worth €6 billion, which is planned to be used for the development and procurement of unmanned systems.
The EU is discussing stricter conditions for providing Ukraine with a €90 billion loan, including linking part of the disbursements to the implementation of tax changes that may prove unpopular among businesses.
