US to provide 1-bln-USD additional security assistance to Ukraine

WASHINGTON -- US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that his country is providing Ukraine with a package of additional security assistance worth $1 billion, as well as $225 million worth of humanitarian assistance.

Biden informed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, of the decision during a telephone conversation, where the US president said the security assistance will include "additional artillery and coastal defense weapons, as well as ammunition for the artillery and advanced rocket systems that the Ukrainians need to support their defensive operations" in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, according to a statement released by the White House.

The humanitarian assistance will "help people inside Ukraine, including by supplying safe drinking water, critical medical supplies and health care, food, shelter, and cash for families to purchase essential items," Biden said in the statement.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin convened a meeting of more than 45 nations in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss support for Ukraine. "We also discussed Secretary Austin's efforts in Brussels today to coordinate additional international support for the Ukrainian armed forces," Biden said.