U.S. preparing new $3B defense aid package for Ukraine - AP

That's according to AP, which refers to its sources in the U.S. administration, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"As Russia's war on Ukraine drags on, U.S. security assistance is shifting to a longer-term campaign that will likely keep more American military troops in Europe into the future, including imminent plans to announce an additional roughly $3 billion in aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come," the article reads.

The money will fund contracts for drones, weapons and other equipment that may not see the battlefront for a year or two, they said.

"Unlike most previous packages, the new funding is largely aimed at helping Ukraine secure its medium- to long-term defense posture," AP said.

Earlier shipments, most of them done under Presidential Drawdown Authority, have focused on Ukraine's more immediate needs for weapons and ammunition and involved materiel that the Pentagon already has in stock that can be shipped in short order.

"In addition to providing longer-term assistance that Ukraine can use for potential future defense needs, the new package is intended to reassure Ukrainian officials that the United States intends to keep up its support, regardless of the day-to-day back and forth of the conflict," the agency said.

In addition, U.S. defense leaders are also eyeing plans that will expand training for Ukrainian troops outside their country, and for militaries on Europe's eastern and southern flanks that feel most threatened by Russia's aggression.

Since August 2021, the United States has provided Ukraine with security assistance worth more than $10 billion.