Lawmakers have unveiled new legislation to send military assistance to Kiev and use frozen Russian assets to fund it

A group of US senators have introduced a bill to allocate $54.6 billion in aid to Ukraine over the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years. President Donald Trump has repeatedly opposed more US aid to Ukraine, insisting Europe should cover the costs.

The bill includes provisions for direct military assistance to Kiev and proposes using income generated from frozen Russian assets held in the United States to help finance the aid. Moscow has repeatedly warned that the seizure or use of its sovereign assets would constitute a violation of international law.

The proposed legislation would also increase funding under Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) from the current $100 million to $6 billion annually. The mechanism allows the US president to authorize emergency weapons transfers without congressional approval.

Additionally, the bill proposes allocating $1 billion to military drone production involving the US, Ukraine, and Taiwan. It also calls for the transfer of confiscated and illegal weapons seized by US authorities to Kiev and suggests counting American military aid toward Washington's contributions to the US-Ukrainian investment fund for the country's reconstruction.

Separate legislation advanced by the Senate Appropriations Committee would provide an additional $1 billion in "security assistance" for Ukraine, including $225 million earmarked for Baltic nations supporting Kiev.

Last month, Trump claimed that billions of dollars allocated by the Biden administration may have been misused by Ukraine, saying he doubts the money was spent on weapons as intended. He has also backed NATO-led purchases of American weapons as a business opportunity.

Former Trump adviser Steve Cortes has also criticized continued aid, calling Ukraine "corrupt" and warning that its leadership "cannot be trusted" following a recent crackdown on anti-corruption bodies.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has likewise condemned Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky as a "dictator" and called for his removal, accusing him of blocking peace efforts.

Russia has consistently denounced Western military and financial assistance to Kiev, saying it fuels further escalation and leads to more bloodshed rather than a negotiated settlement.

(RT.com)