Zelensky says US suspended $16 billion in assistance to Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States suspended and did not provide $16 billion in assistance to Ukraine covered by earlier agreements and decisions. He called on Kyiv to seek the release of the funds while building dialogue with the new US political leadership and strengthening Ukraine’s own capabilities.
Key points
- Zelensky said the US suspended and withheld $16 billion in assistance covered by previous agreements and decisions.
- He said Ukraine must campaign for the release of the suspended funds.
- He did not specify which programs and decisions make up the $16 billion or what portion is military assistance.
- Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress after the November 3 midterms and were expected to begin work in January.
- A two-thirds congressional vote could override a potential veto from Donald Trump.
- The Congressional Research Service estimated that the US pledged $67.8 billion in weapons and military services from February 2022 through March 2026.
- Since summer 2025, the US has sold weapons to NATO partners through the PURL program, which then transferred them to Ukraine.
Why it matters
The disputed $16 billion could affect Ukraine’s ability to finance and support the war, although Zelensky did not provide enough detail to determine which programs it covers or how much is military aid. Democratic control of both congressional chambers may create a route for restoring direct US financial and military assistance, with a two-thirds vote potentially overcoming a presidential veto.
What happened
Speaking on the sidelines of the Ibero-American Summit in Madrid, Zelensky said the United States had suspended $16 billion in assistance previously agreed and authorized but had not provided the funds. He said Ukraine would seek to secure the money while working to obtain an additional US assistance package. He also urged Kyiv to improve communication with the new US political leadership, preserve bipartisan congressional support and strengthen its own wartime capabilities. He did not identify the programs or decisions covered by the sum, the period over which it accumulated, or its military-aid component.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting centered on Zelensky’s call to recover the suspended funds, his thanks for previous US assistance and the practical importance of engaging the new congressional leadership. The proposed approach includes preserving bipartisan support and using Democratic control of Congress to overcome a possible US presidential veto.
How international sources describe it
English-language coverage relayed Zelensky’s claim that the assistance had been suspended without separately analyzing the reasons or identifying the programs to which the $16 billion belongs.
Background
After Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025, the United States stopped providing Ukraine with free military assistance. Since summer 2025, Washington has sold weapons to NATO partners through the PURL program, and those partners have transferred them to Ukraine. Separately, the Congressional Research Service estimated that the US pledged $67.8 billion in weapons and military services to Ukraine from February 2022 through March 2026, while noting that the full value of assistance already delivered may have been lower.