Senate moves limit Trump’s control over Ukraine’s military support

The Senate is seeking policy to control the Trump administration Going to Ukrainewhich oscillated between support and sudden exit, allies and officials speculated.

After the president Donald Trump Recently agreed to resume sending weapons to Ukraine, the Senate’s annual defense policy bill would curb the kind of executive branch adventurism that has attracted bipartisan attention, especially the decision to the Pentagon.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) announced Friday that it includes specific guardrails for U.S. military cooperation. A provision stipulates that the Minister of Defense cannot unilaterally stop military intelligence sharing and targets in cooperation with Ukraine.

The move comes after an episode in March, when the Trump administration suddenly stopped intelligence support and weapons sent to Ukraine, while the president made diplomatic rebates with the Russian president. Vladimir Putin. Although the freeze was later cancelled, the incident shocked lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

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The NDAA also “reaffirmed that the U.S. policy is to assist Ukraine in maintaining a reliable defense” and raised the Ukrainian security assistance initiative to $500 million.

Bill Bars Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was unable to lower the US military posture in Europe or abandon the U.S. Supreme Allied Commander without analysis and certification of its impact on Congress, and this change was consistent with U.S. interests.

With Trump’s remarks clearly changing, the arrival of the new regulations has become more supportive of Ukraine and more critical of Putin.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon once again Suspends previously promised defense assistance to Kievinvoking an internal assessment of U.S. stockpile. The report suggests that the pause may have begun without notifying the White House.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for the U.S. president, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York on September 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia DeMary Nickinson)

“This decision is to put American interests first,” White House spokesman Anna Kelly said. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell responded to the framework, calling it a “capacity commentary” and added: “We can’t provide weapons to everyone in the world.”

Shortly thereafter, Trump hinted that the U.S. would send Patriot missile interceptors and additional defensive aid to Ukraine to pause the conflict. The Pentagon then announced that it would resume goods.

“We want to send More weapons. We must-they must be able to defend themselves. ” Trump said Monday night.

President Donald Trump set out for Texas, to Texas, to Texas, to Texas, to the tourist area of Texas, affected by the deadly flash flooding on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. on July 11, 2025. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

Despite talking to the two Russian presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy Putin last week, Trump described his discussion with the Russian president as fruitless.

“We got a lot of bulls-Putin threw us at us,” Trump told reporters At the cabinet meeting. “He has always been kind, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

Trump pressed for a pause of who authorized military aid, and seemed uncertain.

“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” he said Wednesday. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump told Zelenskyy that he was not responsible for the decision.

Trump said we will “must” send weapons to Ukraine.

When a reporter asked him if he figured out who stopped, Trump replied: “Well, I didn’t think about it. … I have, no, I didn’t attend.”

When asked about the big decisions like this that could be made without knowing it, he insisted: “I will know if a decision is made. I will know. I will be the first person to know. In fact, it is very likely that I will give orders – but I haven’t done that yet.”

Trump ordered the Pentagon to send more ammunition to Ukraine for use in Patriot missile defense systems. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the pause, calling it a “limited review” of specific ammunition types, a common step after continued operations in the Middle East and Europe.

“It’s logical, especially after defending Israel and our own base,” Rubio said.

State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce also tried to reassure his allies, saying: “The president is clearly very enthusiastic and determined to defend his ability to do so.”

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The administration’s current tone marks a sharp shift with earlier this year, when tensions between Trump and Zelensky reached a boiling point at the Oval Office meeting in February.

“You have to be grateful. You don’t have a card,” Trump reportedly told Zelenskyy after calling him a “dictator” earlier that month.