The Pentagon released $400 million for military aid to Ukraine; Trump announced Ukraine's military defeat, probably mistaking it for Iran during his speech; Ukraine sent the Israeli side documents to arrest a Russian ship carrying stolen grain; the US named the cost of the war against Iran for the first time — Suspilne collected the main news on the morning of April 30.
Pentagon releases $400 million in aid to Ukraine
The US Department of Defense has released $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, previously held up at the Pentagon, for contracting.
Congress approved this money last year by a bipartisan vote for Ukraine's defense. Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth asked Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth at a hearing when Ukraine would receive the $400 million. Hegseth replied that it depends on what Ukraine purchases with the money. According to him, the Pentagon will be guided by the advice of the US European Command (EUCOM), which manages these funds.
Context: We are talking about $400 million that Congress allocated for USAI, an initiative that provides for the production of priority weapons for the Ukrainian Defense Forces by American companies, within the framework of the defense budget for the fiscal year 2026. Another $400 million under the same program is set for 2027. On the eve of the hearing, the chairman of the defense subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Mitch McConnell, criticized the Pentagon for the fact that the department did not contract these funds for months. He attributed the delay to the deputy secretary of defense for policy, Elbridge Colby. According to McConnell, Colby was behind the decision last year to suspend the supply of weapons to Kyiv, and also removed aid to Ukraine and the Baltic countries from the Pentagon's budget draft for 2026 as “wasteful.” Congress later restored this funding.
Trump announced Ukraine's military defeat, apparently confusing it with Iran
US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine had suffered a military defeat: probably confusing Ukraine and Iran in the statement. The US President was asked by journalists which war would end first: in Ukraine or in Iran. Judging by the context of Trump's answer, he probably confused Ukraine and Iran when declaring a military defeat.
“Which war will end first? I don't know. Maybe they're on a similar schedule. I think Ukraine, militarily, was defeated, okay? Remember, you wouldn't know that from reading fake news. But militarily, look, this is their fleet. They had 159 ships. Every ship is underwater now. That's usually pretty good,” Trump said.
Ukraine demands that Israel arrest ship carrying stolen Ukrainian grain
The Prosecutor General's Office sent the Israeli side a package of documents for the arrest of the Russian vessel Panormitis and its cargo, which, according to the investigation, may be part of a scheme to legalize illegally exported Ukrainian grain.
It is noted that Ukraine is asking its Israeli partners to seize the ship and its cargo, conduct a search, seize ship and cargo documentation, take grain samples, and interrogate crew members, since, according to the investigation, Panormitis is transporting grain partially exported from the Ukrainian TOT.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the request was “being considered by the relevant authorities.”
Context: It was previously reported that the bulk carrier Panormitis arrived at the port of the Israeli city of Haifa. On board, it is likely carrying wheat and barley from the occupied territories of Ukraine.
A source from diplomatic circles of the Public reported that the Ukrainian side warned Israel about a possible deterioration in interstate relations due to the arrival of the Panormitis vessel in Haifa. On April 28, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry officially invited the Israeli ambassador to deliver a note of protest over the second vessel with stolen Ukrainian grain that arrived in Haifa.
The Pentagon has named the cost of the war against Iran for the first time
The Pentagon said that the cost of two months of the US war with Iran is estimated at $25 billion.
“We're spending about $25 billion today on Operation Epic Fury. Most of that is munitions,” said Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III.
He added that the funds went to operations, maintenance and equipment replacement. Adam Smith, the committee's top Democrat, noted that the Pentagon has not informed Congress about the cost of the war since it began.