U.S. Senate Committee Approves $1 Bln To Support Ukraine

• 1.08.2025, 10:16

Almost unanimously.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved an $852 billion defense budget bill that includes $1 billion in support for Ukraine, Reuters reports.

Sixty-six senators - both Democrats and Republicans - spoke in favor and only three opposed, although the White House, led by President Donald Trump, did not include funding for Kiev in its budget request. "Not only the previous administration, but the current administration has underestimated the level of challenge we face," said the defense subcommittee chairman, Republican Mitch McConnell, commenting on the document.

The bill includes $800 million directly for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides arms purchases. Another $225 will go to the Baltic states, but most of those funds will also eventually go to Ukraine's defense against Russia. "I would say the support for Ukraine would amount to a billion dollars," summarized Senator Chris Coons of the Democratic Party. Overall, the draft increases U.S. defense spending by 2.6 percent, or $21.7 billion, over the previous fiscal year. The document will take effect after it passes a vote by the full Senate, reconciliation with the House of Representatives and receives the president's signature.

On July 29, Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin 10 days to end the war in Ukraine. He has said he wants to reach a peace agreement by Aug. 8. If that doesn't happen, the U.S. will impose new sanctions and other measures against Russia. Specific steps have not been disclosed. Initially, the deadline was 50 days.