Pentagon Prepared Weapons Shipment for Ukraine Before Aid Announcement

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged that prior to announcing new aid for Kyiv, the United States had already prepared some necessary weapons for shipment to Ukraine. He stated to reporters regarding the arms supplies to Ukraine: "In anticipation of potential additional funding, we moved a bit ahead in preparing some important items." He clarified that Ukraine itself is responsible for the American weapons in Ukraine and their ultimate fate, but there is an urgent need for them in the confrontations in the Kharkiv region. Russia confirmed that the supply of weapons to Ukraine contradicts settlement efforts, directly involving NATO countries in the conflict, and any weapons for Ukraine are a legitimate target for Russia.