President Joe Biden on Thursday announced an additional USD 800 million package in military assistance to Ukraine - as well as a ban on all Russian-affiliated ships from U.S. ports - as Russian forces launch a long-expected, large-scale campaign to seize the country"s east, writes ABC NEWS.

“We’re in a critical window now of time where – they’re going to set the stage for the next phase of this war”, - Biden said from the White House Roosevelt Room, adding the U.S. and allies will continue to provide Ukraine with “equipment they need - their forces need - to defend their nation”.

Biden said the new aid package will include “heavy artillery weapons, dozens of howitzers, and 144,000 rounds of ammunition to go with those howitzers”, as well as tactical drones.

Biden said the U.S. has sent “equipment that is responsive to Ukraine’s needs and tailored to support the intensified fighting in the Donbas region, which is a different war than in other places because both topographically, it’s different – it’s flat, it’s not in the mountains - and it requires different kinds of weapons to be more effective”.

“Every American taxpayer, every member of our armed forces can be proud of the fact that our country’s generosity - and the skill and service of our military - helped arm and repel Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to beat back Putin’s savagery that tried to seize Ukraine’s capital and wipe out Ukraine’s government”, - Biden added.