The United States has announced major new military aid worth more than US$2 billion to Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia.
Secretary of State Antony Brinken said the Biden administration “most likely risks future Russian aggression” against Ukraine and its 18 neighbors, including NATO members and regional security partners. He said he would provide $2 billion in long-term military aid.
This is in addition to the 675 million U.S. package of heavy weapons, ammunition and armored vehicles for Ukraine that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Thursday at a conference in Germany.
The donation brings total US aid to Ukraine to US$15.2 billion since the administration took office.
Officials said the new pledges were meant to show U.S. support for a country in the face of Russian aggression is unwavering.
The announcement comes as fighting between Ukraine and Russia has escalated in recent days, with Ukrainian forces launching a counterattack to retake Russian-controlled areas in the south and east.
And the day after shelling continued near Ukraine’s Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (Europe’s largest), amid dire warnings from the UN’s nuclear watchdog calling for the creation of a safe zone to prevent catastrophe, the militants They exchanged accusations again.
Also on Wednesday, the US accused Moscow of interrogating, detaining and deporting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians to Russia.
Russian officials promptly denied the allegations as “fantasy”.
