New rocket systems a ‘game changer’ for war; Putin’s nuclear forces hold drills; ‘do not come out’ alert issued after acid tank bombed | Ukraine live

Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, says the new weapons package heading to Ukraine, announced earlier, is “precisely what they need” and will strengthen their hand at any negotiations in the future.

He says NATO unity has only been strengthened by the conflict, something he believes Russia did not expect.

Mr Blinken reiterates that NATO will defend “every inch” of the alliance’s territory and that 20,000 extra troops have been deployed to the eastern flank.

Sweden and Finland are “more than qualified” to join “as soon as possible”, he adds. The countries recently said they were applying to join NATO.

Jens Stoltenberg, the alliance’s secretary general, says the US role in helping Ukraine has been “indispensable” and is “making a difference on the battlefield everyday”.

The latest package of military aid is a real example of America’s leadership, adds Mr Stoltenberg.

He says the extra troops deployed by NATO are an effort to stop the conflict from escalating and remove “any miscalculation in Moscow about NATO’s readiness”.

Mr Stoltenberg says this bolstering of forces is another example of things not going President Putin’s way. The Russian leader has long wanted to avoid NATO from expanding its presence near its borders.

Senior officials from Sweden, Finland and Turkey will meet in Brussels in the coming days, he says. Turkey’s president has until now objected to the countries joining NATO and claimed they support terrorists.

Taking questions form reporters, Mr Blinken reiterates that Ukraine has given assurances the new high-tech rocket systems it’s sending won’t be used against targets inside Russia. 

There are concerns such a move could escalate the war and possibly bring the US into direct conflict with Russia.