U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized a drawdown of up to $600 million in defense articles, services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Ukraine, according to the White House.

The package "includes additional arms, munitions, and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday.

Biden authorized the assistance using his Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the president to authorize the transfer of excess weapons from U.S. stocks.

The White House said it was the 21st time that the Defense Department has pulled weapons and other equipment off the shelves to deliver to Ukraine.

Washington has sent about $15.1 billion in security assistance to the Kyiv government since Russia's "special military operation" began.

(With input from Reuters, AP)