US President Joe Biden has issued an instruction to allocate $1bn in military aide to Ukraine, the White House press service has reported.
He delegated to Secretary of State Antony Blinken the authority to direct the drawdown of up to $1 billion in defence articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Ukraine.
Blinken said that this $1 billion drawdown will provide Ukraine with expanded air defence and precision-strike capabilities, as well as additional munitions and critical equipment that Ukraine is using so effectively to defend itself on the battlefield.
The Department of Defense is also announcing an additional $850 million of security assistance for Ukraine today under its Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
Today's assistance for the first time includes the Patriot Air Defense System, capable of bringing down cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defence systems.