Pentagon budget for 2026 excludes Ukraine assistance

According to Defense Express, the U.S. Department of Defense has finalized its budget request for fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1, 2025. The proposed budget totals $961.6 billion, consisting of a $848.3 billion base budget and an additional $113.3 billion to be acquired through tax policy adjustments that still require Congressional approval and presidential assent.

Defense Express emphasizes that the new budget notably excludes any funding for Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program. This program, which has been one of the two key instruments for U.S. military support to Ukraine since 2022, enabled the Pentagon to procure new weapons directly from manufacturers. Despite the exclusion, Republican lawmakers have indicated they are seeking alternative mechanisms to provide assistance, though specific plans have not yet been outlined.

Defense Express notes that Ukraine will still receive previously contracted military aid, including weapons currently in production and in the delivery pipeline. However, there is no indication that new contracts for Ukrainian aid will be initiated under this budget. This follows a precedent set with Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) missiles, which were redirected for use elsewhere despite urgent Ukrainian needs for intercepting Iranian-made Shahed drones.

For context, Defense Express reports that Ukraine received $14.6 billion through the USAI program in 2024 — just 1.5% of the total Pentagon budget. The absence of similar funding in 2026 signals a clear shift in Washington's priorities, as the White House appears unwilling to commit additional direct funding to Kyiv in the near term.

The outlet also reminds readers that the second main U.S. assistance mechanism, the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), operated outside the formal defense budget. Under this authority, weapons from Department of Defense stockpiles were sent directly to Ukraine. However, Defense Express underscores that there is no realistic prospect of that program being revived under current political conditions.

According to Defense Express, the finalized distribution of the $961.6 billion budget includes:

• $197.4 billion for the U.S. Army
• $292.2 billion for the Navy and Marine Corps
• $209.6 billion for the Air Force
• $39.9 billion for the Space Force
• $170.9 billion allocated to other general defense activities

Despite prior rhetoric from the White House about implementing significant cuts and reforms, Defense Express observes that only around $30 billion (roughly 3% of the entire defense budget) has actually been trimmed. Of this, $13.8 billion comes from reductions in civilian and personnel costs. The remainder stems from cuts to various programs deemed “non-essential” by the current administration. Among those cut were USAI and other initiatives related to climate action and diversity promotion.

Republican Congressman Tom Cole, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, explained that Ukraine aid was omitted to avoid losing Republican support for the bill. However, Defense Express cites his assurance that “lawmakers will work to provide assistance to Ukraine, which is in a difficult situation, in other ways.”

Among the new budget’s key allocations, Defense Express highlights:

• $25 billion for the "Golden Dome" missile defense project (part of a $175 billion program planned for launch in 2028)
• $5 billion for border operations with Mexico
• $60 billion for nuclear weapons modernization
• $6.5 billion for ammunition
• $160 billion for general military readiness and training
• A 3.8% increase in military salaries

The budget’s final signing is expected by July 4, according to the U.S. military publication Stars and Stripes, as cited by Defense Express.