US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Saturday the approval of an additional $350 million in new military assistance to Ukraine to help Kiev deal with Russia’s invasion.
“As Ukraine bravely and proudly fights against Russia’s brutal and unprovoked attack, I have authorized … $350 million for immediate Ukraine defense support,” Blinken said in a statement.
These funds, said the head of US diplomacy, include “lethal defensive assistance” for Ukraine with the aim of helping it face “air and armored threats” in another “clear sign” of US support, although he did not specify the type of weaponry.
In December, Washington had already approved a similar package worth 200 million dollars.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, will meet today with his national security team to assess the situation in Ukraine and the advance of Russian troops, who are already tightening the siege of the country’s capital, Kiev.
In Ukraine, the president, Volodímir Zelenski, affirmed this Saturday that the fighting continues in many parts of the country -such as Sumy (northeast), Kharkov (east), or Chernígov (north)- and urged all Ukrainians to return to Ukraine and defend your country.
According to the latest official report by the Ukrainian Minister of Health, Viktor Liashkó, at least 198 Ukrainians have died and more than 1,000 have been wounded by the war that Russia launched last Thursday against the country.