While Ukraine aid runs dry, Trump asks for record-breaking $1.5 trillion in military spending

U.S. President Donald Trump is asking Congress to approve approximately $1.5 trillion in defense spending for fiscal year 2027, according to a budget proposal released by the White House on April 3.

The proposed budget calls for a $445 billion (44%) increase in military funds from 2026. If approved, it would represent the largest defense budget in modern history.

Trump's massive request in defense funds coincides with a 99% drop in U.S. military aid to Ukraine during his first year back in office.

Since his inauguration in January 2025, Trump has not allocated any new defense aid packages under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) — a tool frequently used by his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.

Instead, the Trump administration has opted to sell weapons to Ukraine via NATO partners, using the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).

But the PURL program may also be at risk as Trump's focus veers from ending Russia's war in Ukraine to waging a new U.S. war in the Middle East.

Trump has reportedly threatened to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine unless European countries assist the U.S. military effort in Iran, namely by helping unblock the Strait of Hormuz. The key oil passage has been shut down since the U.S. and Israel launched the war in Iran, disrupting global energy markets.

The new massive defense spending request reflects the Trump administration's hawkish pivot in 2026, with the U.S. president launching a surprise attack on Venezuela in January and the joint assault on Iran less than two months later.

Previously, Trump hailed himself as a peacemaker, and complained bitterly about U.S. involvement in foreign wars — including funds for Ukraine.

The proposed 2027 budget also calls for large-scale cuts to domestic programs and humanitarian aid to offset the military increase. Earlier in the week, Trump signaled his spending priorities in remarks at the White House on April 1.

"We're fighting wars. We can't take care of day care," Trump said. "It's not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare — all these individual things."