Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that the United States will soon announce additional security assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $2.3 billion, including anti-tank weapons, interceptors and ammunition for Patriot and other air defense systems, UNN reports citing AP.
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According to media reports, Austin's statement was made during a meeting at the Pentagon with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. And it marks a strong response to Kyiv's request for help in the fight against Russian troops in the Donetsk region.
Austin said the aid would come through the president's drawdown authority, which would allow the Pentagon to take weapons from its stockpile and send them to Ukraine more quickly.
"... Ukraine does not stand alone, and the United States will never waver in our support," Austin said as he opened the meeting with Umerov. "Together with approximately 50 allies and partners, we will continue to provide the critical capabilities Ukraine needs to repel Russian aggression today and to deter Russian aggression tomorrow.
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The announcement comes just days before the U.S. hosts the NATO summit in Washington, and Ukraine continues to lobby for military support and membership in the alliance.
"We will take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine," Austin told Umerov.
"I hope Ukraine will receive its invitation soon," the Ukrainian minister replied.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia has dropped more than 800 powerful cruise missiles on Ukraine in the past week alone. And he called on national leaders to ease restrictions on the use of Western weapons to strike military targets inside Russia. In particular, he said, Ukraine needs "the necessary means to destroy the carriers of these bombs, including Russian warplanes, wherever they are.
Austin did not refer to the restrictions in his opening remarks, but he told Umerov that they would discuss "more ways to meet Ukraine's immediate security needs and build future forces to repel even more Russian aggression.
The publication adds that, including the latest $2.3 billion, the United States has allocated more than $53.5 billion in aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022.