“We have just approved another $200 million of security assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces. They are arriving as we speak, including lethal assistance in the form of Javelin anti-tank missiles,” Kirby said during an interview with Fox News.
Ukraine received the first shipments of the $200-million worth of military aid on Saturday and will continue to receive shipments in the coming weeks, the US State Department said. The aid includes lethal defensive assistance such as the Javelin anti-tank missiles and ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine, it added.
The increase in military assistance to Kiev comes amid increased tensions in Ukraine-Russia relations and claims by the United States and its allies that Russia plans to invade Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly dismissed the claims saying it has no plans to attack any country. In addition, Russia has warned that NATO's actions near its borders represent a national security threat and it reserves the right to move troops within its own sovereign territory as it sees fit.