President Joe Biden has authorized $200 million more in security assistance to Ukraine.
Confirmed by the White House, the new aid will bring the total defense aid for Ukraine to $1.2 billion in the last year.
The authorization comes after a recent disagreement with Poland on sending fighter jets to Ukraine. Although the U.S. has been flowing weapons into the country, it rejected the Polish proposal to transfer MiG-29 planes to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Press secretary John Kirby told reporters “We do not support the transfer of the fighters to the Ukrainian air force at this time and have no desire to see them in our custody either”.
Daily Mail reported that the “funds can be used for weapons and other defense articles from the Defense Department’s stock, as well as military education and training to help Ukraine”.
The U.S. also recently approved $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine as part of a $1.5 trillion measure to fund the U.S. government.
Russia had warned that it views any weapons deliveries into Ukraine as “legitimate targets”.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia “warned the U.S. that pumping weapons from a number of countries it orchestrates isn’t just a dangerous move, it’s an action that makes those convoys legitimate targets”.