The US Department of Defense allocated 99.8% of $400m in aid to Ukraine just before the end of the fiscal year, which ends on 30 September.
Senator Chris Coons reported this, citing Pentagon data, The Washington Sun writes.
As recently as late July, the department had not allocated a single dollar from these funds. Last week, the Pentagon allocated $307m and planned to contract the remaining $93m shortly afterwards.
Coons criticised the US Department of War for dragging the process out until the last day. He said the delay and disregard for deadlines point to strained relations between lawmakers and the department, as the Pentagon fails to report on time and misses schedules.
Lawmakers from both parties had been pressing the defence department for months. Back in April, Pentagon representatives promised to put the funds to work quickly, but later missed the May deadline for submitting a spending plan. As a result, senators prepared a joint letter demanding that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth immediately use the allocated funding.
The Pentagon’s plan provides directing $200m to weapons and ammunition, almost $100m to transport and spare parts, and a further $100m to logistics services and the transportation of military property.
The most recent contracts cover offensive weapons and components for armoured vehicles, but do not include interceptor missiles for Patriot systems. Ukraine has repeatedly asked for additional missiles to defend against ballistic strikes, but Donald Trump’s decision to grant a licence for their domestic production is designed for the long term and does not address the current shortfall.
If the Pentagon had not committed the funds by 30 September (the end of the fiscal year in the US), the $400m would have been clawed back into the American budget. For now, the full allocation of the funds (99.8%) means that contracts with manufacturers have been signed or the money has been reserved, and the military assistance is guaranteed to reach our country.