The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced a $600 million new security assistance package to support Ukraine's battlefield needs and demonstrate unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine.

This package, according to a DoD statement, provided through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) includes equipment to augment Ukraine's air defenses, artillery munitions, and other capabilities.

This USAI package highlights the continued U.S. commitment to meeting Ukraine's pressing requirements by committing critical near-term capabilities, while also building the enduring capacity of Ukraine's Armed Forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the mid and long term.

Unlike Presidential Drawdown authority, which DoD has continued to leverage to deliver equipment to Ukraine from DoD stocks at a historic pace, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry or partners.

This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional priority capabilities to Ukraine, according to the statement.