Pentagon chief says U.S. arms deliveries to Kiev to increase

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a telephone conversation with the head of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Rustem Umerov, that arms deliveries to Kiev would increase. This was reported on December 2 in the press service of the Pentagon.

"Austin provided Minister Umerov with an update on the continued increase in US security assistance to Ukraine," - stated in the message of the press service.

It is specified that during the call the heads of ministries also discussed the situation in Ukraine and agreed to "remain in close contact".

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the USA would provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth $725m.

Before that, on November 28, it was reported that the administration of current US President Joe Biden was developing a new $725m aid package for Ukraine, within the framework of which it planned to provide various anti-tank weapons from the US stockpile.

At the same time, the first deputy head of the Federation Council's Committee on International Affairs, Vladimir Dzhabarov, said that the delivery of the new aid package to Ukraine would lead to an increase in escalation.

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on November 14 that the USA intended to supply Ukraine with all the weapons promised by Biden before he leaves office.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Kiev amid Russia's special operation to protect Donbas, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 24 February 2022 after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.