Senate approves $925 billion defense bill, allocates $500 million to Ukraine aid
The U.S. Senate approved a $925 billion defense policy bill, giving bipartisan backing to the annual military funding measure. Among its provisions, the legislation extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2028, raising authorized funding to $500 million
The New York Times reported the information.
The bill also authorizes new submarines, fighter jets — including dozens of advanced F‑35As — and a 3.8 percent pay raise for U.S. troops. It aims to modernize the military by investing in technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, and hypersonics, with the Pentagon seeking to build capabilities akin to allies’ creative battlefield uses of unmanned systems.
Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the measure “authorizes important investments in key technologies and makes real progress toward modernizing our ships, aircraft, and combat vehicles.”
The legislation comes amid debates over other social and partisan provisions, which the Senate largely avoided compared with the House version. While discussions on domestic troop deployments and gender policies continue, the bill signals strong bipartisan support for Ukraine alongside U.S. military modernization.
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