American 'Lethal Aid' to Ukraine Arrives in Kyiv

The United States has completed the first shipment of what it calls the ‘lethal aid’ that includes ammunition, to Ukraine.

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said Saturday that this shipment “includes close to 200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the frontline defenders of Ukraine.”

“The shipment - and $2.7 billion since 2014 - demonstrates U.S. commitment to helping Ukraine bolster its defenses in the face of growing Russian aggression,” the embassy said.

Ukraine is also set to receive short-range anti-tank weapons from Britain.

Russia has deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin has issued demands to the West which he says concern Russia's security, including that Ukraine be stopped from joining NATO, and for the alliance to abandon military exercises and stop sending weapons to eastern Europe.

Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia could launch an attack on their country from various directions, including from the territory of its ally Belarus. Russian troops have also reportedly started arriving in Belarus for joint large-scale military drills next month.

Yesterday, Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken held what they called "frank" talks to try to reduce the chance of a wider conflict in Ukraine. Blinken warned Lavrov of a "united, swift and severe" response if Russia invaded while the latter repeated denials that the huge force assembled near Ukraine's borders would be used to invade the country.

The U.S. and its allies have also threatened new sanctions if the Russian military takes action.

Russia has accused Kyiv of hatching plans to use force to reclaim control of the Russian-backed rebel-held territories in eastern Ukraine, a claim rejected by Ukraine. Pro-Russian rebels control large parts of eastern Ukraine since a ferocious war erupted nearly eight years ago.