US to send $200 million more in ‘lethal weapons’ to Ukraine

The United States is providing Ukraine with $200 million more in additional military assistance as fighting rages between Ukrainian forces and Russian troops.

US President Joe Biden authorized the additional military equipment for Ukraine Saturday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the "flagrant violation" of international humanitarian law by Ukrainian forces.

Putin also accused the Ukrainian army of "extrajudicial executions of dissenters" and "taking hostages and using civilians as human shields."

Biden designated "up to an aggregate value of $200 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Ukraine."

Washington already authorized $350 million of military equipment on February 26, after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the State Department was releasing "lethal defensive assistance" from US stocks to Ukraine.

Blinken said the package was aimed at helping "Ukraine address the armored, airborne, and other threats it is now facing."

This is while Russia said on Saturday its forces could target supplies of Western weapons in Ukraine and that the pouring in of arms would turn convoys "into legitimate targets."

The latest US authorization of military aid comes two days after Washington ruled out plans to send MiG fighter jets to Ukraine via an American base.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday the United States did not support Poland’s proposal to transfer the aging MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, arguing that such a measure can escalate tensions with Russia.

Austin described the proposal as a “high risk” move, asking Warsaw to directly send the aircraft to Washington.

Washington had previously authorized $60 million in military assistance to Ukraine last fall, followed by another $200 million in December for weapons and ammunition.

Biden has reiterated that the United States and its NATO allies would not fight Russia in Ukraine, saying such a scenario will kick start "World War III."

Biden: NATO-Russia clash would risk World War III

US President Joe Biden has reiterated that the United States and its NATO allies would not fight Russia in Ukraine, saying such a scenario will kick start "World War III."

"We will not fight a war against Russia in Ukraine. Direct conflict between NATO and Russia is World War III, something we must strive to prevent,” he said on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the US to establish "no-fly zones" to protect Ukraine from Russian airstrikes and stop buying Russian oil and gas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week warned that any attempt to impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine would lead to catastrophic consequences for the world.

Putin said his country is defending Russian-speaking communities through the "demilitarisation and de-Nazification" of Ukraine so that their neighbor became neutral and no longer threatened Russia.

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