US 2027 budget provides no funding for USAI program for Ukraine
The draft U.S. budget for 2027 does not provide separate funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which effectively means there are no new budget allocations under this initiative.
The issue of further support for Ukraine and previously allocated funds was raised by Senator Angus King of Maine. The discussion concerned $400 million provided for under a bipartisan and bicameral act of the U.S. Congress last year. According to participants in the hearings, these funds were recently released and arrived in March, but their distribution is still ongoing and should be launched shortly.
Responding to Senator King’s question regarding funding for the Ukraine support initiative, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington expects greater financial participation from European countries.
"We want Europe stepping up and shouldering the burden. They are rich countries worth $20 trillion versus an economy of $2 trillion. Europe can step up, and they have through our [Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL)] initiative and European command. If that is that important to Europe… then European countries should pay for it," he said during hearings of the U.S. Senate committee dedicated to Pentagon budget issues.
A separate comparison was presented of the scale of support for Ukraine from the United States and Europe. According to the information voiced, Europe is providing 99% of support in 2026.
As reported, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier said that $400 million in funding for Ukraine, previously approved by Congress, had been unblocked after several weeks of internal checks and delays at the U.S. Department of Defense, which drew criticism from some U.S. lawmakers.
