U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is on a visit to Kyiv on Monday, has announced a new package of assistance to Ukraine worth $400 million.

During a meeting with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he announced the allocation of $400 million for ammunition, military equipment, and weapons for Ukraine.

Austin reassured the United States' commitment to continue providing Ukraine with assistance in line with a bilateral security agreement signed by Zelenskyy and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense also said he was glad to discuss further strengthening of strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine today.

Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the military assistance package and for all the support the U.S. has provided since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the presidential press service said.

"I thank the American people and President Biden. I am also grateful for the bipartisan support: we greatly appreciate everything that has been done since the start of this war. Thank you for the recent meeting in Brussels within the framework of the Ukraine – NATO Council. It was an opportunity to establish direct dialogue with the defense ministers of allied countries, and after that, there was a strong meeting at the G7 defense ministers' level," the head of state said.

He noted that during a recent phone conversation with President Joe Biden, they discussed the Victory Plan, preparations for the winter period, Ukraine's air defense capabilities, and options for bolstering them.

Among the key issues discussed during the meeting were the authorization to use long-range weapons against Russian military targets, increasing the production of strike drones and cruise missiles, as well as artillery shells and air defense systems. Plans for convening a new Ramstein-format meeting at the heads-of-state level were also discussed.

"Special attention was paid to the importance of continuing clear coordination with international partners to provide security assistance to Ukraine," the press service said.

The Pentagon said on a press release on its website that Austin arrived in Ukraine on Monday to meet with Ukrainian leaders and reiterate the support of the United States for Ukraine's fight for freedom. This is the Secretary's fourth visit to Ukraine as Secretary of Defense.

During his engagements, the Secretary will meet with Ukrainian leadership and underscore the U.S. commitment to providing Ukraine with the security assistance it needs to defend itself from Russian aggression on the battlefield.