US set to provide $6bn in long-term military aid for Ukraine

The announcement is expected to come on Friday as defence secretary Lloyd Austin convenes a virtual meeting of defence officials (John McDonnell/AP)

The US is expected to announce that it will provide around $6bn (€5.6bn) in long-term military aid to Ukraine, officials have said, adding that it will include much sought after munitions for Patriot air defence systems.

The officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defence industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive.