US Senator: White House Delaying $400 Million in Ukraine Military Aid

By Staff, Agencies

The White House is withholding $400 million in military aid for Kiev that was approved by Congress, US Senator Dick Durbin said during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

The funding is part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative [USAI], a Pentagon-administered program that provides Ukraine with training, equipment, and advisory support. Although Congress approved the package in January, Durbin said the assistance has yet to reach Kiev.

According to the senator, the Trump administration informed lawmakers that much of the funding will not be available until fiscal year 2029, effectively delaying its release until the next US president takes office.

“The payment plan tells us to be prepared to spend that money in fiscal year 2029,” Durbin said while questioning Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine during the hearing.

Caine responded that he was unaware of the reported delay and advised Durbin to raise the issue with the administration’s civilian leadership.

The White House has not issued an official statement on the status of the aid package. Last month, Durbin questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the funding, and Rubio said it was undergoing “interagency processes” and that he expected an update on its release “shortly.”

In March, the Washington Post reported that the US administration could have redirected money originally allocated for Ukraine to replenish American military stockpiles depleted during the war with Iran.

A month later, Senator Mitch McConnell wrote in the Washington Post that the $400 million in Ukraine aid approved by Congress was “now collecting dust at the Pentagon.”

Durbin also said on Wednesday that he met with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara earlier this month. According to the senator, Zelensky was “very explicit in terms of what he needed” in the conflict with Russia.

President Donald Trump has criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for providing what he described as unconditional support for Ukraine. Trump has argued that any future US military assistance should be financed by Kiev’s European allies.

Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly blamed Western partners for delays in weapons deliveries and shortages of military equipment, saying they have contributed to Ukraine’s battlefield difficulties. Moscow, meanwhile, maintains that foreign military aid only prolongs the conflict and will not prevent Russia from achieving its military objectives.