EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration to meet Ukraine assistance deadline - Reuters

The U.S. administration has confirmed that it will meet the September 30 deadline for obligating the $400 million allocated by Congress for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). By early this week, $307 million of the funding had already been obligated, and officials plan to lock in the remaining $93 million before the fiscal year closes.

The USAI funds are intended for military aid to Kyiv, with the first deliveries comprising weapons and spare parts. The Pentagon, which oversees the program, has not responded to requests for comment on the final obligating steps.

Congress approved the aid package late last year, but its implementation sparked criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans who accused the Pentagon of delaying assistance to Ukraine. The administration’s recent actions aim to address those concerns by ensuring the money does not expire at the end of the fiscal year.

In recent weeks, the president has taken a more supportive stance toward Ukraine, signing a license that permits Kyiv to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles and endorsing a sanctions bill targeting Russia. He also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at United Nations headquarters in New York, where they discussed efforts to end the war with Russia.

These steps, together with the imminent obligating of the remaining USAI funds, indicate that the administration is positioned to fulfill its legally binding commitments for Ukraine assistance before the September 30 deadline.