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US pledges $700m in military aid – as senior officials meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv
It was revealed overnight that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday.
The pair have now left Ukrainian territory – and a media conference is expected to be held by Mr Blinken on the trip at around 6.30am.
At the meeting in Kyiv, the US pledged another $700m in military aid to help the war effort, $322 of which is earmarked specifically for Ukraine.
A further $400m (£312m) will be shared among 15 other nations in central and eastern Europe, as well as the Balkans.
The new financing brings the total US security assistance to Ukraine since the invasion began to $3.7bn (£2.9bn).
Meanwhile, the US has confirmed it has approved a $165m sale of ammunition for Ukraine.
“It will provide support for capabilities Ukraine needs, especially the fight in the Donbas,” an official said.
Mr Zelenskyy had announced that he was going to meet both men during a news conference held in an underground train station in Kyiv on Saturday night.
But the White House had refused to confirm that or discuss details of a possible visit – with US officials later revealing this was a contingency they had planned for.
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