(Central News Agency, Washington, 2nd Comprehensive Foreign News Report) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart at the Pentagon today that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance to Ukraine.
Reuters reported that more than two years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Austin agreed to Ukraine’s desire to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Referring to next week’s NATO summit in Washington, he said: “We will take steps to build bridges for Ukraine to join NATO.”
He did not elaborate.
For months, Ukrainian officials have been urging allies to provide more air defense systems to defend against frequent missile and drone attacks by Russian forces.
Austin said the latest military aid package to Ukraine will include weapons such as anti-tank vehicles and air defense interceptors, and will allow accelerated acquisition of the National Advanced Air Defense System (NASAMS) and the Patriot missile defense system.
“I’m proud that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance to Ukraine,” Austin said before meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
“Under the presidential drawdown authority, this military aid package will provide additional air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons and other critical munitions from the U.S. inventory.”
The United States has provided military assistance worth more than $50 billion to Ukraine since 2022, but if Trump wins the presidential election on November 5, future U.S. military assistance to Kiev is worrying.