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Pentagon: Fresh weapons package worth over $2.3bn for Ukraine almost ready

Tuesday, 02 July 2024 5:45 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 02 July 2024 5:45 PM ]

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) and his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, attending the 20th Ramstein-format meeting in Germany on March 19, 2024. (File photo)

The Pentagon has announced the near delivery of an over $2.3-billion weapons package for Ukraine.

"I am proud that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a meeting with Rustem Umerov, his visiting Ukrainian counterpart, at the Pentagon headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia, on Tuesday.

"This package, under presidential drawdown authority, will provide more air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons and other critical munitions from the US inventories," Austin said.

In the meeting, Austin also gave his approval to Umerov to agree with Kiev's request to join NATO.

At next week's NATO summit in the United States, Austin said, "We will take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine."

Kiev had said previously it expected to make progress on its NATO membership bid at the summit, scheduled to be held from July 9 to 11 in Washington, DC.

The United States has provided more than $51.2 billion worth of weaponry for Ukraine since the conflict with Russia started in 2022, according to the Pentagon.

Meantime, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed the weapons and ammunition provided by the US military help give Kiev forces "a chance at victory" against the advancing Russian troops.

Ukraine will lose war against Russia if US Congress does not approve military aid: Zelensky

Ukraine’s president says his country will lose the war against Russia if the US Congress does not approve a major military aid package.

On Monday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said two more east Ukrainian villages were liberated as its troops’ victories continue against the Kiev forces.

The Russian troops liberated the village of Novopokrovske in the eastern Donetsk region and the village of Stepova Novoselivka in the northeast Kharkiv region, as they continue to pile pressure on Kiev forces in several directions for weeks.

The victories came after Russian troops freed two other villages over the weekend.

Russia troops have been steadily advancing westwards since it took the industrial hub of Avdiivka in February with Moscow announcing the liberation of a fresh village in Ukraine’s east almost every week this summer.

Moscow has repeatedly warned against flooding Ukraine with weapons and ammunition, adding that it would take retaliatory measures against the West if the weaponry is used on targets inside Russia.

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