Billions for weapons and strengthening air defense: the US wants to allocate $15 billion in aid to Ukraine

Representatives of the U.S. Democratic Party are working on a new package of military aid for Ukraine, which could amount to about $15 billion. After winning the midterm elections, Democrats plan to use their powers in Congress to strengthen support for Kyiv, particularly in the areas of air defense and energy, and also to push for tougher sanctions against Russia. UNN reports this, citing Financial Times.

Details

The final composition of the package and the mechanism for financing it have not yet been determined. But it is already known that one of the Democrats’ main priorities will be assistance to Ukraine’s energy sector, which continues to suffer from Russian attacks. Lawmakers seek to secure additional support before the new Congress begins its work in January 2027.

To this end, Ukraine’s supporters are considering introducing relevant amendments to the annual U.S. defense policy bill (National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA), which must be adopted before the current Congress completes its work. In particular, this concerns provisions aimed at providing Ukraine with interceptor missiles for air defense systems, continuing intelligence support, and resolving issues related to the use of Starlink and Starshield satellite communications systems.

Democrats also intend to devote particular attention to sanctions policy toward Russia. According to the Financial Times, lawmakers plan to review the law on sanctions against the Russian Federation named after Senator Lindsey Graham. The document provides for financial restrictions against Russia’s defense and energy sectors. These intentions are linked, among other things, to the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to exercise the powers granted by law to ease some of the sanctions against Moscow.

In addition, representatives of the Democratic Party plan to increase oversight of the White House administration’s decisions regarding Ukraine and Russia.

However, despite gaining a majority in both chambers of Congress, the Democrats’ capabilities will remain limited by the president’s veto power. To override it, lawmakers will need to secure the support of at least two-thirds of the members of each chamber, and therefore of some Republicans.

Recall

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the results of the U.S. midterm elections would contribute to increased American military and financial support for Ukraine.