The document secures allocations for Pentagon programs for the development of defense infrastructure, programs in energy, intelligence, foreign affairs, as well as other government sectors.
The law includes new assistance to Ukraine defending itself from Russian aggression, writes Reuters.
The document authorizes a record annual military spending of $901 billion, $8 billion more than US President Donald Trump requested.
The agency notes that the legislation is a compromise, “combining separate measures already passed by the House and Senate.” In particular, it includes several provisions aimed at strengthening security in Europe, which Trump is “cool about.”
The law signed by the head of the White House also provides for the allocation of $800 million for Ukraine – $400 million each over the next two years – to pay for the supply of weapons to the Ukrainian army.
The Defense Act also authorizes the Baltic Security Initiative and allocates $175 million to support the defense of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. It also limits the Pentagon's ability to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Europe to less than 76,000 and prohibits the commander of U.S. forces in Europe from relinquishing the title of NATO's supreme commander, the report said.
Context
The NDAA is an annual US bill that sets Pentagon policy and budget. First, the document is considered and adopted by the House of Representatives, after which it passes the Senate, and only after that it is approved by Congress as a whole.
The White House released the document for 2026 on December 5, and the House of Representatives approved it on December 10.
