WASHINGTON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The United States is preparing a new $1.1 billion arms package for Ukraine's battle with Russia that will be announced soon, U.S. officials said on Tuesday as Washington awaits the outcome of what it calls "sham" referendums in Ukraine.
Congressional negotiators agreed to include nearly $12 billion in new spending on the war in Ukraine in a stopgap spending bill that will likely be voted on this week, Reuters reported on Monday.
The State Department announced in August that it will no longer publish World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT) reports, which have been released by the US government since the 1960s.
The Biden administration is hesitant to give Ukraine the longer-range missiles it is asking for as Russia has warned providing such arms would make the US a party to the conflict.
On Thursday, the Biden administration announced a new weapons package for Ukraine worth $600 million, bringing the total US military aid pledged to Kyiv since Russia invaded on February 24 to $15.1 billion.
Ukraine has made major requests for new weapons it wants from the US, including a longer-range missile system, as it plans to launch more offensives in 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
America’s most recent defense secretaries and military chiefs united behind a bold and unprecedented initiative this past week, hoping to prevent our democracy from being shattered by a future president who ignites a full-blown coup.
The U.S. military command responsible for the Middle East and Iran is developing plans to open a new military testing facility in Saudi Arabia, according to three U.S. defense officials familiar with the plans.
On Thursday, the Biden administration announced over $2.8 billion in military aid for Ukraine and US allies in the region. The announcement came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to Kyiv, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin chaired a meeting of defense ministers in Germany.
