Reports from Politico, citing sources within the government, indicate that Washington is finalizing one of its largest military aid packages for Ukraine, with plans to sign arms contracts worth $6 billion.
The contracts, expected to be announced by the United States on Friday, include a wide range of military equipment, such as Patriot air defense systems, artillery ammunition, drones, anti-aircraft weapons, and air-to-air missiles.
However, it's unlikely that Kyiv will receive weapons under this package for several years.
The funds are allocated through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, meaning the US government will contract American defense companies to produce new technology and equipment for Ukraine instead of sending existing weapons from the Pentagon's inventory.
Earlier statements from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg suggested that the US and Europe had not delivered the promised military support to Ukraine in recent months. Stoltenberg emphasized that these delays would have consequences.
Since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Ukraine has received substantial financial and military aid from Western countries, led by the United States and other European nations.
Russia views arms supplies to Ukraine as undermining the possibility of conflict resolution, claiming that direct NATO involvement in the conflict "plays with fire."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that any shipment containing weapons to Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia, adding that the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict not only by providing weapons but also by training individuals in Britain, Germany, Italy, and other countries.
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