U.S. announces additional military assistance to Ukraine

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced Thursday that it will send Ukraine another tranche of weapons worth 500 million U.S. dollars.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, the latest military assistance to Ukraine is the 72nd time Biden has used his executive authority to approve the fund since August 2021.

Weapons in the latest tranche included air defense capabilities, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, and anti-tank weapons, among others.

Earlier in the day, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the U.S. National Security Council, told a daily press briefing at the White House that the Biden administration, with just weeks remaining in office, will "continue to provide additional packages right up until the end of this administration."

President-elect Donald Trump, who will take over the White House on Jan. 20, said in an interview aired on NBC News on Sunday that Ukraine "probably" should prepare for reduced American aid when his administration is sworn into office.

Trump said he considered it unfair that the United States spent more than triple the amount of money that European nations spent on supporting Ukraine.

"Why isn't Europe in for the same as us?" Trump said. "The one thing that should happen is that Europe should come in for -- they should equalize."