Republican and Democratic senators urged the Pentagon to release $600 million in congressionally approved security assistance for Ukraine and Baltic allies, criticizing delays by US President Donald Trump’s administration. The lawmakers warned that withholding the funds risks undermining efforts to deter Russia as Moscow’s war against Ukraine continues.

May 23, 2026

A bipartisan group of US senators has pressed US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to release $600 million in delayed security assistance for Ukraine and Eastern European allies, deepening tensions between Congress and US President Donald Trump’s administration over support for Kyiv.

According to the Associated Press, the senators sent a letter Friday demanding the Pentagon move forward with the aid package, which includes $400 million for Ukraine and another $200 million for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

“Ukraine has persistently and bravely repelled a four-year Russian onslaught, but its military needs and deserves continued American support,” Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley wrote in the joint letter.

The letter was also signed by Republican senators Kevin Cramer and Thom Tillis, along with Democratic senators Michael Bennet and Catherine Cortez Masto.

“Any further delays – particularly as the Department reportedly plans troubling U.S. troop withdrawals from the region – risks our ability to adequately deter Russia,” the senators wrote, according to AP.

The dispute escalated after Hegseth told lawmakers during congressional hearings more than three weeks ago that funding for Ukraine had already been “allocated” and that a spending plan would soon be delivered to Congress. Senators now say the Pentagon missed a May 15 deadline to provide the plan.

The debate comes as some Republicans increasingly express frustration over what they see as the Trump administration distancing itself from Ukraine and European allies.

Support is also growing in the House of Representatives for a Democrat-backed proposal that would expand sanctions on Russia and provide an additional $1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. While the package is unlikely to pass, AP reported it reflects renewed momentum among lawmakers supporting Ukraine’s war effort.

Although the delayed $400 million package is relatively small compared to the multi-billion-dollar aid bills approved earlier in the war, lawmakers described it as an important signal of continued US. backing for Ukraine.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/76709