Earlier in the day, the United states allocated a new $988 million military aid package to Ukraine.
"That brings the total of US security assistance committed to Ukraine since February 2022 to more than $62 billion," he said during a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California.
Austin added that Ukraine had received more than $57 billion from Kiev's other allies.
The United States has allocated a new $988 million military aid package to Ukraine as part of a program to purchase new weapons, the Pentagon said in a statement.
"Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced a significant new security assistance package," the statement says. "This security assistance package commits an additional $988 million in support through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI)."
The funds will be allocated as part of a program to purchase new weapons, not write them off from US military warehouses.
The new military support package includes ammunition for the HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, drones, as well as equipment and spare parts for the repair and maintenance of artillery, tanks and armored vehicles.
Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the settlement, directly involving NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. According to lavrov, the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries.