A Senate defense committee has approved a draft bill that bars the Pentagon from halting arms shipments and intel sharing with Kiev

A bill authorizing more Ukraine aid and barring the Pentagon from unilaterally halting arms shipments has passed the Senate Armed Services Committee. The measures are part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual defense bill that outlines the Pentagon's priorities and funding for the next fiscal year.

The bill comes as tensions have risen between Congress and the White House over aid pauses earlier this year. In March, President Donald Trump temporarily halted all Ukraine assistance and intelligence sharing, while earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethpausedweapons deliveries, citing the need to review dwindling Pentagon stockpiles.

Aidresumedearlier this week after Trump expressed frustration over delays in the peace process and said Ukraine needs weapons to "defend" itself. Media reports later suggested Trump had not been informed of the latest suspension and struggled to explain whether he had approved it.

The new NDAA draft was passed in a bipartisan vote this week. It "reaffirms" US support for Ukraine, extends aid through 2028, increases annual authorizations from $300 million to $500 million, and requires the Pentagon to continue intelligence support for Kiev, according to a summary released on Friday.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, however,saidthe bill also includes language blocking the Pentagon from halting aid or intelligence sharing without congressional approval. She noted that provisions listed in the bill "put guardrails" on the Trump administration "to make sure promised military assistance continues to flow to Ukraine."

A separate version of the NDAA drafted by House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogersextendsaid through 2028 but keeps it capped at $300 million per year. It also prohibits the Trump administration from halting funds without written justification to Congress and requires Hegseth to report regularly on support to Ukraine. The House committee will vote on its version on Tuesday. The bill must pass committee votes before being submitted for a full congressional vote.

Ukraine hasreceivednearly $115 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian US aid since its conflict with Russia escalated in February 2022. The military component of this sum has come through congressional bills such as the NDAA and the Presidential Drawdown Authority, a fund capped by Congress that allows the president to send US weapons directly to Kiev.

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Russia has long argued that Western arms prolong the fighting without changing the outcome.

Moscow and Kiev have so far held two rounds of peace talks in Türkiye, reviving a process that Kiev abandoned in 2022 to pursue military victory with Western assistance. Moscow says it is ready to continue negotiations and isawaitingKiev's response to schedule the next round.

(RT.com)