Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States is considering Ukraine’s request for "additional" military assistance. Kyiv has requested U.S. air defense systems and anti-sniper technology, along with a possible deployment of Patriot missiles in Ukraine.
Blinken told RFE/RL on May 6 in an interview in the Ukrainian capital, where he met with the country's top leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that the Pentagon is "looking at what additional assistance -- beyond the very significant assistance that we've already provided, including equipment -- would be helpful to Ukraine right now. That’s a very active consideration."
The United States has provided nearly $5 billion in financial, humanitarian, and military aid -- including lethal, anti-tank weapons -- to Ukraine since 2014, when Russia forcibly annexed Crimea and backed separatists in two of its eastern provinces, sparking a war that has killed more than 13,000.