US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. (Photo: AFP)

Austin announced the aid package after a day of meetings with Ukrainian officials. The latest tranche includes anti-tank weapons, air-defence interceptors, and an additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

The US has provided over 44 billion USD in security assistance to Ukraine so far.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday called on Western countries to halt their aid to Ukraine and engage in negotiations.

Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has added Sergei Popko, a former commander of the ground forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to its wanted list. He is accused of causing the death or injury from shelling of numerous civilians in Donbass. Meanwhile, a draft resolution has been presented to the Ukrainian parliament proposing sanctions against the military-industrial sectors of the Russian Federation and Belarus for a period of 50 years.