US, European allies to boost Ukraine military assistance

The United States and some of its European allies have announced significant new arms donations to Ukraine, including armoured vehicles and heavy weaponry, ahead of a crucial

meeting on bolstering the country’s defences nearly a year after Russia invaded. The US said its package of military support – which includes armoured personnel carriers,

air defence systems and tens of thousands of rockets and artillery rounds – was worth some $2.5bn. There will be 59 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and 90 Stryker Armoured Personnel

Carriers, the US Defense Department said in a statement on Thursday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was a “significant new security assistance package to help

Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia’s brutal war.” The latest package brings US military assistance for Ukraine to some $27.4bn, he added. Earlier, the United

Kingdom, in a joint statement with defence ministers and representatives of nine European countries, said it would send 600 Brimstone missiles to Kyiv, while Denmark promised 19

French-made Caesar howitzers, and Sweden its Archer artillery system, a modern mobile howitzer Ukraine has been requesting for months. “We recognise that equipping Ukraine

to push Russia out of its territory is as important as equipping them to defend what they already have,” the statement said.