ADDS REMARKS BY US, UKRAINIAN DEFENSE CHIEFS
By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The US will soon announce a new aid package for Ukraine worth more than $2.3 billion, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday.
At a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov at the Pentagon, Austin said the package would include more air defense inceptors, anti-tank weapons, and other critical munitions from US inventories.
"It will also enable the United States to procure more Patriot and NASAMS air defense interceptors, which will be provided on an accelerated timeline by the re-sequencing of deliveries for some foreign military sales," he added.
Stressing that the US will "never waver" in its support, Austin said alongside 50 allies and partners, the US will continue to provide the "critical capabilities" that Ukraine needs to push back "Russian aggression today and to deter Russian aggression tomorrow."
Austin and Umerov are expected to discuss bilateral defense cooperation, regional security issues, and ways to strengthen the US-Ukraine defense partnership during the meeting, which comes ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Washington, DC.
Previously, Ukraine said it expects to make progress on its NATO membership bid at the summit, set for July 9-11.
"Now, as we look ahead to the NATO summit next week, Rustem, we'll take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine," Austin said.
He underlined that US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, recently signed a crucial 10-year bilateral security agreement which reflects the US' "strong and enduring" support for Ukraine.
Umerov appreciated the "comprehensive assistance" and support given by the US.
"We look forward to discussing with you how we could continue our partnership and be, in the future, a member of NATO. Hopefully, soon, Ukraine will receive its invitation," he added.
Under Biden, the US has committed more than $51.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine including more than $51.2 billion since the beginning of Russia's "unprovoked invasion" on Feb. 24, 2022, according to the Pentagon.