The United States has promised a new $625million security assistance package to Ukraine that would include High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers.

According to a White House statement, U.S President Joe Biden made the promise in a telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday.

Biden was joined in the call by U.S Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden underscored that Washington would never recognize Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory, the statement read.

The aid package is the first since Russia’s most recently declared annexation of Ukrainian territory and the second Presidential Drawdown Authority since Ukraine’s large battlefield gains in mid-September.

In a strongly worded response, Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States said Washington’s decision to send more military aid to Ukraine risks escalating the war.

Russia’s declared annexations last week followed what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine.

Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.