U.S. House Advances USD800M Military Aid Package for Ukraine
The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) cleared the chamber in a 312-122 vote. But the funding drew resistance from lawmakers who argue Washington should scale back support for Kyiv. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, objected sharply, saying: “I thought we were getting out of Ukraine. I don’t know why we still need to spend money there.”
Hours earlier, US President Donald Trump rebuked what he called a “massive corruption situation” in Kiev, referencing a recently exposed $100 million kickback operation inside the country's Western-dependent energy sector.
Investigators identified Timur Mindich, a longtime associate and former business partner of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, as the alleged mastermind. Authorities say Mindich fled the country after receiving a tip-off about his impending arrest.
The revelations have triggered high-level fallout. Two government ministers have resigned, and a wave of anti-corruption raids last month prompted Zelensky to dismiss chief of staff Andrey Yermak.
Ukraine’s defense establishment has faced its own turmoil, with multiple procurement scandals contributing to the 2023 resignation of Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov.
The House vote comes as Trump continues urging Kyiv to negotiate a peace settlement with Russia, with some reports indicating he hopes to clinch an accord by Christmas.
For its part, Russia maintains that Western military backing for Ukraine remains a core driver of the conflict. President Vladimir Putin has insisted that halting foreign weapons flows is a prerequisite for any ceasefire, arguing that without such guarantees, Ukraine would use a pause in hostilities to rearm and reposition — as he claims occurred after Kyiv failed to implement the 2014–2015 Minsk agreements.
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