U.S. Senate Declares Military Retreat from Russia and China
In a move to bolster U.S. military capabilities and counter global threats, Senators Mitch McConnell and Chris Coons have proposed a substantial increase in defense spending. The focus of this investment is on "hard power," with an emphasis on expanded investments in shipbuilding, munitions production, air and missile defense, and sustaining military support to allies like Ukraine.
The proposed budget adds $22 billion to the Pentagon’s base budget, bringing the total defense budget for 2026 to approximately $852 billion. The largest portion of this increase, around $8.7 billion, is allocated to shipbuilding to address critical shortfalls, including funding for the Columbia-class submarine program and advanced procurement for a third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
An additional $7.3 billion is dedicated to munitions, with a significant portion going towards munitions production to benefit U.S. European and Indo-Pacific Commands. This includes $5.2 billion for munitions production and $2.1 billion for munitions facilities, with $1.2 billion earmarked for a second Patriot missile production line producing THAAD and JASSM systems.
The budget also adds $4.6 billion for air and missile defense capabilities, including $2 billion for next-generation Army air defense systems. The Air Force receives nearly $5 billion more than requested, securing a $233 billion budget to enhance its capabilities.
Senators McConnell and Coons strongly back continued and increased military aid to Ukraine, emphasizing that engagement helps the U.S. military prepare for modern battlefields, leveraging lessons from Ukraine’s drone-intensive conflict.
McConnell emphasized the strategic necessity of this spending increase, citing coordinated authoritarian threats worldwide and the need to avoid “artificially constraining our resources” to maintain American security and military superiority.
These proposals clearly reflect a prioritization of "hard power" investments that strengthen conventional military assets, infrastructure, and munitions capacity to counter global threats and reinforce U.S. alliances and military readiness. The senators argue for making additional investments to bridge the gap with competitors and believe the U.S. is lagging behind its potential adversaries militarily.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, a Russian deputy director has found herself in trouble after underreporting her son's grades, who is a participant in Russia's Special Military Operation. Russia has responded to threats by stating, "If they want it, we will take Odessa," while Ukraine's President, Zelensky, has stated that Ukraine has not lost Chasov Yar, claiming that Russia is lying.
[1] The Washington Post, "Senate Appropriators Propose $22 Billion Increase for Pentagon’s Base Budget," 2025. [2] The New York Times, "McConnell and Coons Call for Increased Defense Spending," 2025. [3] CNN, "Senators Propose Increased Military Aid to Ukraine," 2025. [4] Defense News, "Senate Appropriators Propose $852 Billion Defense Budget," 2025.
- The Senate Appropriators' proposed defense budget of $852 billion for 2026, as presented by Senators Mitch McConnell and Chris Coons, includes a substantial allocation for "hard power" investments, with a focus on expanding investments in shipbuilding, munitions production, air and missile defense, and military support to allies like Ukraine.
- The increased defense spending proposals by Senators McConnell and Coons are influenced by the strategic need to counter global threats and reinforce U.S. alliances, with a focus on bridging the gap with potential adversaries in politics, general news, policy-and-legislation, and war-and-conflicts.
