Washington. The US announced a new security package of $225 million for Ukraine. This includes Patriot missiles, artillery rocket systems, and additional ammunition for missiles, among other items. Washington has provided more than $50 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.

"We will be with you," US President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a bilateral meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington. "The United States and our international coalition will stand with Ukraine," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said while announcing the package.

NATO members declare support for Ukraine

Meanwhile, Ukraine on Thursday urged NATO to lift a ban that prevents Ukraine from using long-range weapons against Russia. NATO members announced their support for Ukraine at a summit in Washington on Wednesday. The NATO announcement said allies would provide at least 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine within the next year.

Beijing is posing challenges to Europe and security

The US, the Netherlands and Denmark have announced that they will provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukrainian military pilots. The US said it will deploy long-range missiles in Germany in 2026. This is aimed at countering the growing threat from Russia. NATO said that China has become a war monger by its unlimited partnership with Russia and massively promoting its defense industrial base. Beijing is posing challenges to Europe and security.

Ukraine 'very close' to NATO membership: Zelensky

Ukrainian President Zelensky said on Thursday that Ukraine is very close to achieving its goal of NATO membership. "We are very close to our goal," he said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Washington. Zelensky also met leaders of NATO's Indo-Pacific allies.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that Ukraine would not join the alliance immediately, Al Jazeera reported, however, he stressed that Ukraine should join NATO after the war ends so that Russia would never attack Kiev again.

NATO should not spread chaos in Asia: China

China on Thursday accused NATO of seeking security at the expense of others and said that NATO should not spread similar chaos in Asia. This statement of China's Foreign Ministry came after NATO described it as supporting Russia in the Ukraine conflict. China has asked NATO countries to stop interfering in China's internal affairs.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that NATO's exaggeration of China's responsibility on the Ukraine issue is malicious. Lin said that China supports Russia's view that NATO's expansion is a threat to Russia. Along with this, China expressed concern over NATO's growing relations with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.

Russian plot to assassinate CEO of German company supplying arms to Ukraine foiled

Earlier this year, the US intelligence agency claimed that Russia had plotted to assassinate the CEO of a major German arms manufacturer supplying arms to Ukraine, but it was unsuccessful. This company is mainly supplying artillery shells and military vehicles along with other war materials to Ukraine. CNN has published the report citing several US and Western officials familiar with the matter.

According to this, this conspiracy was part of a larger conspiracy to target defense industry officials across Europe who were helping Ukraine in the war. Under this, a conspiracy was hatched to kill Armin Pepperger, the head of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall. As soon as the information about the case was received, American officials immediately alerted their German counterparts. This alerted Germany and it tightened Pepperger's security and Russia could not succeed in its objective.