The US has passed an $800-million security assistance package for Ukraine in its almost four-year conflict with Russia.
The military aid, announced as part of Washington’s periodic National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), has now been transferred to President Donald Trump for approval.
The package will be sent to Kyiv through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a Pentagon program established in response to Moscow’s invasion in 2022.
Deliveries of the aid will be facilitated in 2026 and 2027, with $400 million of the overall donation allotted each year, according to Reuters.
Support in Europe
Alongside the Ukrainian assistance, America’s latest NDAA involved a $175-million support package to help the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania reinforce their joint regional defense capabilities amid tensions on NATO’s eastern flank.
It also capped the number of dispatched US servicemembers in Europe to 76,000, while barring the US European Commander from stepping down as the NATO Supreme Commander.
In the US
Beyond European matters, the NDAA also seeks enhanced safety rules in American military helicopter operations following the deadly accident in DC that took the lives of over 60 people.
The bill, which is expected to include funding to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War, did not allocate financial support for the change.
It also holds part of the travel budget for Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth if the chief does not release unedited videos of controversial military strikes associated with Trump’s self-proclaimed war against narcoterrorists in South America.
Syrian Sanctions
Meanwhile, the NDAA suggests reversing sanctions imposed on Damascus due to its link with the Lebanese Islamist party Hezbollah and other paramilitary groups during the rule of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
This recommendation follows Trump’s call for Syria’s new leader to establish formal ties with Israel in exchange for sanctions relief during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May.
