The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a defense spending bill for fiscal year 2026 that includes $1 billion in support for Ukraine, rejecting President Donald Trump's demand to cut the funding from the budget.
Points of attention
- The vote on the bill saw 26 senators in favor and 3 against, with implications for further consideration by the full Senate, although Trump retains the right to veto the decision.
- The decision underscores the bipartisan support in the Senate for providing substantial aid to Ukraine and prioritizing efforts to bolster the country's defense capabilities amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
What is known about the decision of the US Senate Appropriations Committee?
The vote on the bill took place on July 31: 26 votes "for" and 3 "against".
After that, the document will be considered by the full Senate.
The leader of the Republican Party faction in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, made a statement on this matter.
"Not only the previous administration, but this one also underestimated the level of challenges we face," he complained.
What is important to understand is that the bill provides $800 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and $225 million for the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI), a significant portion of which ultimately goes to supporting Ukraine in the war against Russian invasion."
McConnell also once again reminded us that the United States is learning important lessons from the war in Ukraine:
"Closing cooperation with Ukraine would undermine our army's efforts to prepare for the modern battlefield," he emphasized.
It is worth noting that Trump can veto this bill, even if it is approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
