Opinion | Why is the Pentagon holding up Ukraine funds?

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 3. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) Mitch McConnell, a Republican, is a senator from Kentucky. Headlines often say that Americans don't support U.S. aid to Ukraine, but real Americans say otherwise. They have consistently affirmed that Washington should aid Kyiv in resisting Russian aggression. Congress last year acted on that wish: Republican majorities on both armed services committees authorized $400 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative for each of the next two years. Appropriators fully funded that authorization for fiscal 2026 with overwhelming support.