Austin said at the Pentagon on Wednesday the aid will help Kyiv maintain the pressure on Russia after the Kremlin withdrew its forces from the southern city of Kherson, in a major battlefield setback for Moscow.

"We're going to maintain our momentum throughout the winter so that Ukraine can continue to consolidate gains and seize the initiative on the battlefield,'' Austin said.

He spoke ahead of the seventh Ukraine Contact Group meeting, where NATO and partner nations meet to coordinate security assistance for Kyiv.

This meeting was also to address training for Ukrainian troops, Austin said.

The US to date has provided $18.6 billion in weapons and equipment to Ukraine.