The US will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine, defense secretary Lloyd Austin has said
Austin also acknowledged Ukraine's ambitions to eventually join NATO, more than two years after Russia's full-scale invasion. Referring to next week's NATO summit in Washington, he mentioned, "We will take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine." He did not provide further details.
Ukrainian officials have been urging their allies for months to supply more air defense systems to counter frequent missile and drone attacks from Russian forces. Austin announced that the latest weapons package for Ukraine would include items such as anti-tank weapons and air defense interceptors, and it would facilitate the accelerated procurement of NASAMS and Patriot air defense interceptors.
"I am proud that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine," Austin said just before meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. "This package, under presidential drawdown authority, will provide more air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons, and other critical munitions from U.S. inventories."
The United States has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022, but there are concerns about the future of U.S. support for Kyiv should Donald Trump win the Nov. 5 presidential election. Two key advisers to Trump have presented him with a plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, if he is elected. This plan involves telling Ukraine that it will get more U.S. weapons only if it enters peace talks with Moscow. The proposal would mark a significant shift in the U.S. position on the war and face opposition from European allies and within Trump's own Republican Party.
During the meeting with Austin, Umerov said Ukraine was looking forward to becoming a NATO member. "Hopefully soon Ukraine will receive its invitation." Umerov, in comments posted later on the Telegram messaging app, expressed gratitude for the new assistance. He stated that work is ongoing "so that Ukraine will receive more air defense systems as quickly as possible." He also mentioned that Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyn emphasized the importance of taking detailed steps at the NATO summit, particularly to secure funding from the alliance to boost Ukraine's defense capability.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who unsuccessfully lobbied for a political invitation to join the alliance at its summit in Vilnius last summer, has said that this year's summit should resolve the matter of inviting Kyiv to join. While NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Washington have both said they do not expect the alliance's 32 members at the July 9-11 summit to invite Ukraine to join while it remains at war with Russia, Stoltenberg has expressed hope to show Kyiv that it is moving closer to membership.