As Ukraine suffers further losses on the battlefield and diplomatic efforts to end the war stall, the U.S. Senate has introduced a new bipartisan aid package aimed at sustaining American support for Kiev into the next two years.
On Thursday, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen unveiled a bill that would authorize $54.6 billion in military and economic assistance for Ukraine during fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The proposal arrives as President Donald Trump’s attempts to broker a ceasefire with Russia have yet to produce results.
A central component of the bill includes a significant expansion of the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the executive branch to transfer weapons from U.S. stockpiles without direct congressional approval. The legislation proposes raising the PDA limit from its current $100 million to $6 billion annually. The remaining funds would be earmarked for replenishing American military stockpiles and expanding drone production capabilities.
Notably, the bill would also authorize the partial use of profits derived from frozen Russian assets to help fund the aid package—an approach Washington has thus far hesitated to implement despite growing calls to do so from European allies.
In parallel, a separate bill has already advanced through the Senate Appropriations Committee that includes an additional $1 billion per year for Ukraine, some of which would also go toward supporting the Baltic states.
Lawmakers see the new legislation as a strategic move to prevent any future suspensions of military aid by the White House or Pentagon—such as the pauses that occurred earlier this year and in late June. If passed, the measure would effectively limit President Trump’s discretion to halt or slow aid deliveries, binding future administrations to the flow of assistance.
The effort mirrors previous NATO efforts in 2023 to "Trump-proof" weapons shipments to Ukraine amid uncertainty about the U.S. political landscape.
However, the bill's prospects remain uncertain, especially among Trump-aligned lawmakers and members of his political base. Leading figures in the Trump administration and the MAGA movement, including Vice President J.D. Vance, have consistently criticized ongoing support for Ukraine. Trump himself has recently alleged that billions of dollars sent to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden were misused or unaccounted for.