US senators press Hegseth on $400m

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators escalated pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on May 23, demanding that the Pentagon release security assistance for Ukraine and other eastern European allies that lawmakers say has been delayed for months. The push centers on roughly $600 million that Congress approved last year, including $400 million for Ukraine and $200 million for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Senators said the Pentagon missed a May 15 deadline to provide a spending plan after Hegseth told lawmakers on April 29 that the Ukraine funding had been “released.” ### Which senators are pressing Hegseth? Sens. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, and Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, spearheaded the letter, according to reports published on May 23. Republican Sens. Kevin Cramer and Thom Tillis and Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and Catherine Cortez Masto also signed it. (yahoo.com) The letter said Ukraine “has persistently and bravely repelled a four-year Russian onslaught, but its military needs and deserves continued American support,” according to the Associated Press account carried by U.S. News. The senators added that further delays could weaken efforts to deter Russia, particularly as the department reportedly considers U.S. troop withdrawals from the region. (yahoo.com) ### What money is being held up? Congress approved the funding in December 2025 as part of the fiscal 2026 defense authorization process, according to multiple reports. The package at issue includes $400 million in assistance for Ukraine and another $200 million for Baltic allies. The $400 million Ukraine portion was described in one report as aid delayed for months at the Pentagon. (usnews.com) The Hill reported on April 29 that Hegseth said the department recognized the $400 million allocation for European capacity building and that it had been released the previous day, while Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III said the money was not yet under contract. (yahoo.com) ### Why are senators saying the Pentagon still has not followed through? On April 29, Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee that the funding had been unlocked after bureaucratic hurdles were resolved, according to the May 23 Yahoo report. Senators said they were also told a spending plan would be sent to Congress by May 15. (yahoo.com) By May 23, lawmakers said they still had not received details on how the money would be disbursed. The Associated Press report said that gap had deepened friction between Congress and the Trump administration, with even some Republican lawmakers publicly voicing frustration over the delays. (yahoo.com) ### Why does the dispute reach beyond Ukraine? The stalled funding also covers defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, three NATO members on Russia’s border. The senators’ letter linked the delay to broader deterrence concerns in eastern Europe, not only to Ukraine’s battlefield needs. (usnews.com) The broader fight comes as the Trump administration has not announced new defense aid packages for Ukraine under Presidential Drawdown Authority since January 2025, according to the May 23 Yahoo report. That report said the administration instead has relied on weapons sales to Ukraine through NATO partners, including a State Department approval on May 21 for a $108.1 million sale of equipment to support the HAWK air defense missile system. (usnews.com) ### What happens next? The immediate issue is whether the Pentagon sends Congress the spending plan lawmakers say was due on May 15 and moves the released funds into contracts. Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III said on April 29 that timing for use on the ground would depend on what equipment is purchased and on advice from U.S. European Command. (yahoo.com) The funding fight is also likely to remain part of congressional oversight of Ukraine policy. The December defense legislation reauthorized the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, according to The Hill, and senators are now pressing Hegseth to show when the current $400 million tranche will actually begin moving. (thehill.com)