The US Department of Defence has informed Senator Chris Coons that on 29 September it formalised legally binding financial commitments totalling 99.8% out of $400 million in military aid to Ukraine under the USAI programme. This took place one day before the end of the US financial year and does not imply that all weapons worth this amount have actually been transferred to Ukraine.
Briefly about the main points
- The Pentagon has allocated 99.8% in USAI funding for Ukraine.
- By the end of July, the funds under this programme had not yet been processed.
- Chris Coons criticised the belated decisions and poor reporting.
- USAI funds purchases from manufacturers rather than direct deliveries from warehouses.
- The terms of the contracts, as well as the production and transfer of weapons, have not been specified.
The processing of funds was only speeded up in the last week
According to The Washington Sun, by the end of July the Pentagon had not committed any of the allocated funding. By the start of the last week of September, this figure had risen to $307 million, with a further $93 million due to be committed by the deadline.
Koons, the leading Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on Defence Appropriations, criticised this pace. «The fact that they are finally doing this on practically the very last possible day says it all,» the senator said.
The senator highlighted problems with keeping Congress informed
Koons also accused the Ministry of Defence USA in the untimely holding of briefings for Congress and the inadequate fulfilment of reporting requirements. This is the Senator’s assessment, not the agency’s official position.
Pentagon did not respond promptly to a request from *The Washington Sun* regarding these statements.
The USAI provides for procurement rather than immediate removal from warehouses
The US Congress has authorised $400 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative for the 2026 and 2027 financial years. According to the Congressional Research Service, this funding was earmarked in the 2026 budget to strengthen European defence capabilities and was channelled to Ukraine.
The USAI primarily involves the procurement of weapons and services from manufacturers. It differs from the presidential PDA mechanism, under which weapons can be transferred directly from US Army depots. Therefore, once funding has been secured, it may take some time to finalise contracts and complete production.
Congress had previously warned of a lack of supplies
On 22 September, the Member of Congress Steni Goyer stated that the funds had been earmarked more than seven months ago, but, according to information received by US lawmakers from the Ukrainian side, no aid under this programme had yet been received at that time.
Reuters reported on 25 September that the administration Donald Trump She had planned to process almost the entire sum by the end of the financial year so that the funds would not lapse. According to the agency, the package was to include weapons and spare parts, but not missiles Patriot. The exact timelines for the contract, production and actual handover of the relevant weapons to Ukraine have not been publicly disclosed.
