US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has committed arms supplies to Kiev to continue, reports the Associated Press.
Austin and about 50 defense leaders from Europe and the world met to coordinate more military aid to Ukraine as Kiev tries to contain Russia's offensive in the northeast while launching its own massive offensive against the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.
Austin pointed out that the new Russian attack on Kharkiv showed why the countries' continued commitment is vital. He noted that arms deliveries from the US to Ukraine will continue week after week.
Pentagon officials pointed out that weapons previously positioned in Europe began moving into Ukraine soon after the approval of the latest package of military aid to Kiev. However, it is not clear how many of them reached the front line.
The US has provided about $50.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the start of the war in 2022
Ukrainian troops are trying to stop the Russian advance in the Kharkiv region, while increasing their offensive in Crimea.
Ukraine is also struggling to send enough troops to the front line as the war enters its third year and the fighting takes its toll. In an effort to increase troop numbers, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed two laws allowing prisoners to join the army and increased fines for draft dodgers fivefold.