Third shipment of American military aid arrives in Ukraine as tensions continue to rise

A third shipment of US military aid arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday as tensions mount over Russia’s troop buildup and Western nations and NATO ramp up their military presence in Eastern Europe.

This cargo includes about 90 tons of lethal weapons, including ammunition for Ukrainians on the front line.

Earlier, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a regular briefing for journalists that the United States would send additional military assistance to Ukraine in the near future, without specifying, however, the volume of supplies.

The delivery followed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv this week amid concerns from Kyiv and its Western allies over tens of thousands of Russian troops amassed at the border with Ukraine. Russia denies planning a new military offensive.

“The United States will continue providing such assistance to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces in their ongoing effort to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russian aggression,” it said on Facebook.

Ukraine’s defence minister thanked the United States for the aid. However, the country’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, criticized Germany for its refusal to supply weapons to Kyiv, urging Berlin to stop “undermining unity” and “encouraging Vladimir Putin” amid fears of a Russian invasion.

Kuleba said on Twitter that Germany’s statements “about the impossibility of supplying defence weapons to Ukraine” did not match “the current security situation”.