In the US, the House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress, has approved the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 (NDAA). The approved defense budget includes money for aid to Ukraine.
Points of attention
- The US House of Representatives has approved the defense budget for 2026, with $800 million allocated for assistance to Ukraine.
- The budget includes provisions preventing the reduction of US troop levels in Europe below 76,000 for the long term, enhancing regional defense.
- A total of $400 million is designated for the Ukraine Security Initiative, extending until 2029, along with further allocations for the country's needs.
The lower house of the US Congress approved the defense budget
The total US defense budget in 2026 will be $900 billion. Of this, $800 million is expected to be allocated to aid Ukraine, despite the position of the administration of President Donald Trump.
The law also places a stronger emphasis on European defense. The White House is prohibited from reducing troop levels in Europe below 76,000 for more than 45 days. It is also prohibited from exporting or transferring key military equipment.
In addition, $400 million is allocated for the needs of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), and the term of the program itself has been extended until 2029.
Another $400 million is allocated for other needs of Ukraine.
It is worth noting that Congress has yet to separately approve funding for the Pentagon in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill. The fiscal year, unlike the calendar year, in the US begins and ends in September.
