Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, listens during an oversight hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite, File)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-05-22T18:32:08Z<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A bipartisan group of senators is pushing back on delays by the Department of Defense in sending $600 million in security aid<\/a><\/span> to Ukraine and other allies in eastern Europe, dispatching a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday that calls for the funding to be disbursed.<\/p>\n Friction has grown between Congress and the Trump administration in recent weeks as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle push for updates on what has happened with $400 million in Ukraine aid and $200 million more for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The money was allocated by Congress last year. Even Republican lawmakers have aired their frustration as President Donald Trump\u2019s administration disengages<\/a><\/span> with Ukraine and other European allies.<\/p>\n \u201cUkraine has persistently and bravely repelled a four-year Russian onslaught, but its military needs and deserves continued American support,\u201d said Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in the joint letter.<\/p>\n Republican Sens. Kevin Cramer and Thom Tillis and Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and Catherine Cortez Masto also signed onto the letter.<\/p>\n