The Trump administration on Tuesday, June 18, announced plans to provide an additional $250 million in lethal weapons and aid to the Ukrainian army, which brings the total amount to $1.5 billion to Ukraine since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula.

The U.S. military assistance to the Ukrainian army keeps increasing (Picture source via TheDuran )

The U.S. funds will “support ongoing training programs and operational needs” and finance additional training and equipment for Ukrainian forces, the Pentagon said in a statement. Some of the equipment provided will be particularly useful for protecting against and confronting Russia, including sniper rifles, grenade launchers, counter-artillery radars, electronic warfare-detection technology, and secure communications. The U.S. will also assist with military medical treatment and other aid.

Ukraine is in the process of embracing “key defense institutional reforms” that will “bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend its territorial integrity in support of a secure, prosperous, democratic, and free Ukraine,” the Pentagon said.