Pentagon releases stalled military funds for Kyiv following political pressure

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the announcement at a hearing from the House Armed Services Committee. 

“The department recognizes that $400 million was allocated for European capacity building, and as of yesterday, it has been released,” Hegseth said in response to a question from Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth.

The Pentagon clarified that the funds were not under contract, but are released to be put under contract.

When questioned on when the money will actually arrive in Ukraine, Hegseth replied that it depends on what the country will use the funds for. He added that the funds would be employed in accordance with U.S European Command recommendations.

Elfreth pointed out at the hearing that Senator Mitch McConnell earlier expressed his outrage over delays in releasing the agreed-upon funds.

McConnell blamed the delay on Elbridge Colby, the national security policy professional, claiming that he was behind the decision to suspend arms shipments to Ukraine.

He said Colby considered assistance to Ukraine and America’s NATO allies in the Baltics “wasteful”, removing these expenses from the Pentagon’s 2026 budget.

The Hill clarified that the funds in question are from the 2026 U.S. defense budget. The law provided $400 million for Ukraine in 2026 and another $400 million in 2027 under the Special Security Assistance Initiative. The funding was intended to pay for the production of priority weapons by the U.S. companies for the Ukrainian army.