The Pentagon has almost completely distributed $400 million in aid to Ukraine a day before the end of the fiscal year

• Pentagon allocated 99.8% of $400 million aid to Ukraine
• Senator Chris Coons criticized the last-minute contract process
• Congress pressured Pentagon for faster disbursement
• Full aid delivery planned by September 2029

At the end of September, the Pentagon completed the process of distributing nearly the entire amount of $400 million approved by the U.S. Congress as military aid to Ukraine. According to Defense Department representatives, 99.8% of the allocated funds are already at the disposal of the relevant programs, which was announced a day before the end of the 2025 fiscal year.

This was reported by Senator Chris Coons (Democrat from Delaware), who noted in an interview with the Washington Sun that he received information from military officials on the morning of September 29. Coons expressed dissatisfaction that the Defense Department waited until the last moment of the fiscal year to finalize contracts, calling this approach 'uninformative' and 'law-breaking.'

Criticism from Congress is not new. For several months, lawmakers from both parties have pressured the Pentagon to expedite the funding process. At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on April 30, Pentagon financial chief Jules Gerst stated that funding had recently been approved and would be 'launched soon.'

The context is a statement from the administration of Donald Trump in July, which indicated that by the end of the 2029 fiscal year (September 30, 2029), the approved $400 million would not be fully spent. This statement raised concerns in Kyiv, where there was a severe shortage of weapons needed to counter Russian missile attacks.

In May, the Department of Defense sent lawmakers a letter with a spending plan, outlining the schedule for fund distribution until the 2026 fiscal year, with the final delivery of all aid scheduled for September 30, 2029. Democrats and some Republicans who supported Trump's position criticized the delay, noting that the pace of fund allocation was too slow for the current conflict.

Despite the completion of most contracts, the remaining 0.2% of funds are in the process of final distribution. The Pentagon promised that the remaining portion would be used according to the approved plan to ensure the continuity of weapon and equipment supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The Importance of Timely Assistance

Experts emphasize that prompt funding is critically important for maintaining Ukraine's defense capabilities, given the intensity of Russian attacks and the need to replace lost equipment. Delays in supplies can weaken defense and complicate Kyiv's strategic plans.

Thus, the completion of the distribution of nearly the entire amount of $400 million demonstrates the readiness of the U.S. to fulfill its commitments to Ukraine; however, criticism from Congress points to the need for more transparent and timely interaction between government branches on military assistance issues.

Source: UNIAN