US and allies aim to help Ukraine bolster defenses after aid gap

FILE PHOTO: A serviceman of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine prepares a shell with an inscription 'for Kharkiv' for a howitzer at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine April 5, 2024. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States hopes its new deliveries of weaponry will help Ukraine rebuild defenses and refit its forces as it recovers from a gap in U.S. assistance, but it does not expect Kyiv to launch large-scale offensive operations against Russian forces in the near term, a U.S. defense official said on Thursday.

The U.S. will on Friday host a virtual meeting of Ukraine international aid donors, days after Congress emerged from a half-year of deadlock to approve a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine. President Joe Biden's administration quickly announced $1 billion in artillery, air defenses and other hardware would soon be heading to Ukrainian front lines.