THE United States continued to ramp up military aid to Ukraine today, promising to send a staggering $2.6 billion (£2.1bn) worth of additional weapons for use against Russian forces.

US officials said the next batch of armaments would include more than $2bn (£1.6bn) in munitions and radar, plus about $500 million (£400m) in ammunition and equipment to help a planned spring offensive by the Ukrainian army.

The ammunition rounds, along with grenade launchers and vehicles, will be taken from military stockpiles so they can reach the warzone quickly, the officials added.

The $2.1bn (£1.67bn) in longer-term aid, which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, will buy missiles for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (Nasams) as well as radar and other weapons, according to the officials.

This latest military package brings the total amount provided by the US to Ukraine to more than $35bn (£28bn) since Russia invaded in February last year and coincided with Finland becoming the 31st member of Nato today.

Meanwhile, the battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut appears to have reached a stalemate.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that if Moscow takes Bakhmut, Russian President Vladimir Putin would “sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran.”

Last week, the White House claimed — without providing evidence — to have new evidence that Russia is looking again to North Korea for weapons as its forces also prepare for a spring offensive.

Officials said that, in return, Moscow would provide Pyongyang with needed food and other commodities.

Earlier this week, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying a truce would have no preconditions and that all movement of troops must be halted.

However, Russia said that the Ukrainian government had refused to enter talks under pressure from the US and its other Western allies.