The administration of US President Donald Trump did not include funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) in the 2027 budget proposal. This became known on April 30 during a hearing in the US Senate Armed Services Committee, broadcast by C-SPAN.
The issue of support for Ukraine was raised by Senator Angus King. He recalled that last year the US Congress provided $400 million for assistance to Kyiv, but, according to him, these funds have not yet arrived.
The acting chief financial officer of the US Department of Defense, Jules Hurst, responded that the money was allocated only recently and its distribution takes time. He also confirmed the lack of funding for the program in the 2027 budget.
At the same time, the total amount of discussed defense spending for the United States for 2027 is approximately $1.5 trillion.
For his part, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Washington expects greater financial participation from European countries in supporting Ukraine.
“We want Europe to take on more of the funding. These are rich countries. Europe can step up their support. They can fund it through initiatives. That's what the Americans want to see, for other countries to participate,” he said.
Senator Eric Schmitt also criticized US spending on Ukraine and Europe's lack of involvement
“If [нелегитимный президент России] “Vladimir Putin really is an existential threat and is the new Hitler who wants to control Europe – even though he can't even take Kyiv – then Europe needs to be more proactive,” he said.
