US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said President Joe Biden has approved a new $675 million package of military aid for Ukraine.
“Yesterday, the president approved the latest tranche of US assistance to Ukraine, valued up to $675 million,” Austin said during a press conference at Germany’s Ramstein airbase.
Austin said that the developments in Ukraine had reached “another key moment,” claiming that allies must sustain the country’s “brave defenders for the long haul”. According to the Pentagon chief, the US is seeing “demonstrable success” on the Ukraine battlefield, Sputnik reported.
The Pentagon chief had been scheduled to host an in-person Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on September 8, 2022, inviting Ministers of Defense and senior military officials from around the world to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
In opening remarks at the 5th meeting of the UDCG, Austin reportedly clarified there would be an emphasis on increased munitions production across member nations – saying “national armaments directors” will be invited to join UDCG.
This comes as earlier, Biden outlined a request for Congress to approve a government funding bill worth $47 billion that includes additional money for what it is describing as “four critical needs,” including “support for Ukraine, COVID-19, monkeypox and natural disaster recovery” as lawmakers return after the August recess.
It includes $11.7 billion for additional Ukraine military and economic assistance.
