US announces new $600m arms package for Ukraine

The Biden administration announced a new $600m arms package to help the Ukrainian military battle Russia, as the US rushes more weapons to fuel Kyiv’s successful counteroffensive in the country’s east.

The package will include more of the same types of ammunition and equipment that have helped Ukrainian forces beat back the Russian forces in portions of the east and south.

“With admirable grit and determination, the people of Ukraine are defending their homeland and fighting for their future,” the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said in a statement.

“The capabilities we are delivering are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraine‘s hand at the negotiating table when the time is right,” he added.

The decision to move on new aid quickly – on the heels of a nearly $2.9bn infusion of aid and financing support announced last week and more than $3bn announced in late August – underscore US’s intent to ensure that Ukraine can sustain its stunning counterattack that was launched early this month.

In the space of a few days, Ukrainian troops have recaptured almost all of the Kharkiv region, significantly pushing back the Russian military there.

Moscow’s recent rout in north-east Ukraine was its largest military defeat since the withdrawal of Russian troops from areas near Kyiv more than five months ago.

Joe Biden authorized the latest assistance using his Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the president to authorize the transfer of excess weapons from US stocks. The White House said it was the 21st time that the US’s defense department has pulled weapons and other equipment off the shelves to deliver to Ukraine.