US announces new $600 million aid package for Ukraine to boost counteroffensive

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is announcing a new $600 million package of long-term aid to Ukraine, providing funding for an array of weapons and other equipment. It comes just a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine and pledged $1 billion in new military and humanitarian aid. The Defense Department said the latest package will come through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides money for long-term contracts for weapons systems that need to be built or modified by defense companies. The aid comes as the Biden administration works to show its continued support for Ukraine’s three-month-old counteroffensive.