US announces new round of military assistance for Ukraine

The United States has announced a new round of military assistance to Ukraine, following a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden.

The Pentagon stated on Friday that the latest aid package would be worth $125m, and Biden said that it would include air defence munitions, ammunition and anti-armour missiles.

“Russia will not prevail in this conflict. The independent people of Ukraine will prevail – and the United States, our allies, and our partners, will continue to stand with them every step of the way,” Biden said in a statement.

The US has supplied Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars worth of military assistance since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its territory in February 2022.

In the years since, Ukrainian forces have struggled to expel Russian forces as they labour under shortages of crucial supplies, with no end to the conflict in sight.“Ukraine critically needs the supply of weapons from the announced packages, particularly additional air defence systems for the reliable protection of cities, communities and critical infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said in a statement posted to social media.

Earlier on Friday, the US government’s treasury, state and commerce departments announced further economic sanctions targeting Russia, aimed at narrowing its ability to circumvent previous restrictions.

Critics say that US sanctions have made life more difficult for everyday people in Russia without stopping the government from waging war in Ukraine.