Biden to announce US$225m military aid package for Ukraine while in France – AP

US President Joe Biden will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris on Friday, 7 June, where Biden is expected to announce a new US$225 million military assistance package for Kyiv.

The  Associated Press's (AP) sources said the new package includes ammunition for HIMARS missile systems, artillery shells and mortar systems.

AP’s sources further noted that the package would include air defence missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems, 155mm howitzers, armoured vehicles, trailers, patrol boats, demolition materials and a wide range of other spare parts and equipment.

Earlier, after granting limited permission for Ukraine to use US weapons to strike Russian territory, Biden expressed opposition to potential strikes deep into Russian territory with US-supplied weaponry.

The White House has previously explained that the US permission to use US-supplied weapons applies to the border areas of not only Kharkiv Oblast but also Sumy Oblast.

At the same time, the authorisation does not apply to long-range ATACMS missiles.

Meanwhile, Kyiv wants to negotiate an extension of the scope of this authorisation.