Despite Trump denials, US still sending Ukraine billions in aid — SkimNews
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- President Trump claimed on Truth Social that the Biden administration gave Ukraine more munitions than the U.S. has used in Iran, blaming Biden for depleted U.S. military stockpiles.
- About $13 billion in Biden-era USAI contracts remain outstanding as of June 2026 (down from $20B in January 2025), funding Patriot missiles, NASAMs, PAC-3 interceptors and counter-drone systems through roughly 2028 — totaling about $20 billion in aid over Trump's term.
- Congress included roughly $800 million in new USAI funding in the 2026 and 2027 NDAAs, and the State Department approved $3 billion in new arms sales to Ukraine in 2025-2026, partially funded through Foreign Military Financing.
- The U.S. provides real-time targeting intelligence, reconnaissance integration including E-3 flights from NATO border countries, logistical and maintenance support, and training — costs that do not appear on any itemized bill.
- The classified intelligence budget jumped about 10% starting in 2023 (a roughly $10 billion increase), with Ukraine-related expenditures estimated at $3-5 billion per year, bringing total U.S. Ukraine spending to roughly $20 billion annually.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged that Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy targets push up global oil prices, and the article warns that U.S. intelligence support makes America an 'all-but-direct combatant,' increasing the risk of a direct U.S.-Russia confrontation.
Why it matters: U.S. taxpayers continue footing roughly $20 billion per year for Ukraine while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent concedes Ukraine's strikes inside Russia are driving up global oil prices — meaning Americans pay both through taxes and at the pump, even as Trump claims the U.S. is no longer spending on the war he promised to end in 24 hours.
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