The US Senate committee approved the defense budget — it included $500 million for Ukraine. Whatʼs next?

The US Senate Armed Services Committee approved a defense budget on July 9 that includes $500 million in aid to Ukraine. This budget is part of the draft National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026.

Reuters writes about this.

The NDAA is an annual bill that funds and authorizes the U.S. military. It ensures that the U.S. military has the resources it needs to carry out its missions, and it is closely watched by weapons manufacturers.

The approved version of the NDAA includes a clause to extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative until 2028. The planned funding was increased to $500 million, while for 2025 it is $300 million. The decision was supported by 26 votes in favor, there was one vote against. At the same time, the House of Representatives left support for Ukraine at the level of $300 million in its version of the NDAA.

In addition to Ukraine, the NDAA addresses various global security challenges, including threats from China, Iran, and North Korea. In total, the NDAA provides $925 billion for national security needs. Of this amount, $878.7 billion is to be allocated to the Department of Defense and $35.2 billion to the Department of Energy. The document also mentions the possibility of reallocating up to $6 billion for “higher priority unforeseen needs.”

The bill also emphasizes the need for technological advancements in areas such as artificial intelligence, unmanned technology and hypersonic weapons, as well as maintaining U.S. military superiority. The bill prohibits the retirement of A-10 aircraft, although the Trump administration requested it in its budget request in June. The document states that at least 103 of these aircraft should remain in service in 2026.

The bill will be considered in Congress over the coming months.

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