In response to Russia’s incursion, the United States has approved about $2.7bn (£2.3bn) in fresh aid for Ukraine, including $675m in weaponry supplies.
At a meeting with dozens of other ministers at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin unveiled the deal.
The military assistance consists of howitzers, ammunition, Humvees, armored ambulances, and anti-tank equipment.
The United States has already promised Ukraine at least $13 billion in military aid.
The new financing includes $2 billion in long-term aid.
Mr. Austin stated that Ukraine’s friends must commit to extending their support for as long as necessary and be willing to modify the nature of their assistance.
“It requires acting swiftly to develop and push our entire defense industrial base to supply Ukraine with the necessary instruments,” he said.
Defining Russia’s invasion as an “illegal, imperial, and indefensible war of conquest,” he stated, “We are now witnessing the clear success of our combined efforts on the battlefield.”
Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country’s military had just retaken towns in the northeastern city of Kharkiv from Russian forces that control significant portions of Ukraine in the south and east.
Both Ukrainian and pro-Russian officials have reported combat 60 kilometers (38 miles) south-east of Kharkiv near Balakleya.
Ben Wallace, secretary of defense for the United Kingdom, believes there are indications Ukraine is making serious military advances. Long-range artillery and rockets supplied by the West are being used to target Russian supply lines and command centers.
Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed any setbacks, stating, “We have not and will not suffer any setbacks.”
Russia asserts that it is fighting neo-Nazis in Ukraine, a claim that is generally discredited, and that it is endangered by NATO’s strong ties with Ukraine.
Since the invasion on February 24, the United Nations has recorded at least 5,718 civilian deaths, 8,199 civilian injuries, and more than seven million Ukrainian refugees in Europe. An unknown number of soldiers have been killed or wounded.
Russia, a major source of energy, is embroiled in an economic conflict with the West, which imposed sweeping sanctions in reaction to the invasion.
