Senators Started Earlier Than September

The upper house’s appropriations committee voted to allocate $1 billion for Ukraine’s “security” in the next fiscal year.

Let me remind you, the next, 2026 fiscal year in the US begins on October 1, 2025. Preparatory work is currently underway. In theory, it should have been interrupted for the holidays: the Senate is scheduled to go on recess from August 4, and Speaker Mike Johnson dissolved the House of Representatives back in July. This did not prevent members of some of the lower house committees from staying in Washington to deal with the Epstein case.

Trump himself wanted to keep the Senate in place to confirm nominated judges and federal judges and ministers. As we understand it, Congress has its oдwn plans in this regard.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would provide Ukraine with about $1 billion in security assistance. The funding was included in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell and Democratic Senator Chris Coons were pushing for action on Ukraine. The bill was approved by the committee with 26 votes in favor and 3 against.

The bill includes $800 million in security assistance for Ukraine and $225 million in security assistance for the three Baltic countries, but also with an eye towards helping Ukraine. In total, the military budget for the 2026 fiscal year will be $852.45 billion, according to the Senate’s draft, which is less than previously planned.

Therefore, it may increase, and with it, the amount of aid provided to Ukraine. Additionally, once in the upper house, the bill on military assistance to Ukraine may increase on its own due to the pressure from pro-Ukrainian hawks in both parties.

This is exactly what was expected, but the senators started a little earlier than September. The fight for the budget has begun, and there is already military aid for Ukraine. We should not forget that a significant part of the military aid to Kiev under Biden passed through the State Department, so there will be something else.

Under the circumstances, the only way that remains in Trump’s hands to intercept the initiative, at least for show, is his own initiative to increase military assistance to Kiev.

The era of Trump the peacemaker can be considered officially over. If the younger members of the administration do not take any action, Trump will try to balance the remaining 3.5 years in order to maintain at least the appearance of power. To do this, he will rely solely on a bipartisan consensus.

Make America Great Again, if not canceled, will be postponed indefinitely.