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Russia's rapid production of military equipment is being enabled by China, perpetuating the war in Ukraine and raising concerns in European countries about their safety after that conflict ends, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a World Economic Forum discussion in Riyadh on Monday.

NATO countries haven’t delivered what they promised to Ukraine in time, the head of NATO said on Monday, allowing Russia to press its battlefield advantage while Kyiv’s depleted forces wait for Western military supplies to arrive. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Stoltenberg said that “serious delays in support have meant serious consequences on the battlefield” for Ukraine. (AP video Vasilisa Stepanenko)

The U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Friday.

The Pentagon has announced that the U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package.

In an exclusive interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell, Pope Francis discusses the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and calls for negotiating peace.

STORY: The Ukrainian leader said in a statement on the Telegram app that he was grateful to close ally Britain for unveiling this week a new 500 million pound ($625 million) uplift in a defense support package for Ukraine. "Particular attention was paid to sanctions policy. It is important to expand restrictive measures against Russia and exclude the possibility of circumventing sanctions," Zelenskiy said. He said Hunt would meet Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other ministers later on Thursday.

STORY: ”It's a good day for America. It's a good day for Europe. It's a good day for world peace. For real.” U.S. President Joe Biden signed a nearly $100 billion foreign aid package into law Wednesday after months of wrangling with Republicans in Congress. Sixty-one billion dollars of that will go to help Ukraine in the fight against Russia’s more than two-year invasion. "America stands with our friends. We stand up against dictators. We bow to no one to no one, certainly not Vladimir Putin.” Ukranian President Volodymir Zelenskiy said he was grateful to Biden and Congress. Biden said he had already approved an initial $1 billion in weapons supplies for Ukraine and that the flow of these arms would start Wednesday. "I'm making sure the shipments start right away in the next few hours, literally the few hours we're going to begin sending equipment to Ukraine for air defense, munitions, for artillery, for rocket systems and armored vehicles." The Democrat had pressed Republican lawmakers for six months to approve more funding for Ukraine. His 2024 election rival Donald Trump objected to aid for Ukraine, and some Republicans in Congress refused to back it, questioning whether Ukraine could ever prevail. But with the backing of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, his chamber passed the bill Saturday and the Senate approved it late Tuesday. The legislation also includes $26 billion for Israel, as well as $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to Gaza. ”Israel must make sure all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay. And everything we do is guided by the ultimate goal of bringing this hostages home, securing a cease fire, and setting the conditions for an enduring peace.” Another $8 billion will go to countering China's military might, with funding for Taiwan and other U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific. Biden also signed a separate bill tied to the aid package that bans TikTok in the United States if its owner, Chinese tech firm ByteDance, fails to divest the popular short video app over the next nine months to a year. TikTok's CEO said on Wednesday that the company expects to win a legal challenge to block the legislation.

Calling it a "good day for America" and "a good day for world peace," President Joe Biden signed into law the $95 billion war aid measure that includes assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other allies.

STORY: "Our region is again under attack by Ukrainian UAVs. As a result of the enemy attack on civilian fuel and energy facilities, fires broke out in the Smolensk and Yartsevo districts," Anokhin said on the Telegram messaging app. It was not immediately known what facilities were on fire. Separately, Igor Artamonov, the governor of the Lipetsk region in Russia's southwest, said that a drone there fell on an industrial zone. He said on Telegram that there were no injuries, but did not say whether there was any damage and what object was targeted. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Reuters was able to confirm the location from the position and shape of the buildings which matched satellite and file imagery of the area. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the date the videos were filmed.

STORY: A sweeping foreign aid package cleared the final hurdle in the U.S. Congress with ease late on Tuesday, to provide fresh funding to Ukraine and Israel after months of delay. The Senate approved the $95-billion package by a wide margin of 79 to 18 votes. It was a combination of four bills: $61 billion goes to defending Ukraine against Russian advances in its war. $26 billion is for Israel - as well as humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones around the world. While some $8 billion will help Taiwan and other countries in the Indo-Pacific "counter communist China". A fourth bill was added to the package by the House of Representatives last week - to move on potentially banning the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok. Members of the House passed the combo package on Saturday, after Republicans there abruptly ended a months-long stalemate. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it into law as soon as it reaches his desk. Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Tuesday's vote "an inflection point in history". "The conflicts we see right now in Europe and the Middle East and the tensions of the Indo-Pacific will go a long way in shaping the balance of power between democracy and autocracy in the decades to come and the consequences for America's long-term security will be profound." His Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell expressed regret about the delay. "For months, our friends have watched to see whether America still had the strength that won the Cold War, or the resolve that has underpinned peace and prosperity, literally for decades. Our enemies have tested whether the arsenal of democracy is in fact built to endure. Well, tonight, the Senate will send a clear message." The two leaders applauded the bipartisan effort to finally get the package passed, after strong opposition mostly from hardline Republicans with close ties to Donald Trump. The former president has been skeptical of funding Ukraine as he pushes "America First" policies. McConnell later told a news conference he believes Congress has "turned the corner on the isolationist movement." About $10 billion of the Ukraine money comes in the form of a loan, which Trump had suggested - though this bill lets the president forgive the loan starting in 2026.

The Senate is debating whether to pass a set of bills that would release additional funds for U.S. allies Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion is following from Capitol Hill.

UK puts defence industry on 'war footing' as it gives Ukraine US$620M in new military aid

STORY: Far from the trenches in Ukraine, recruiters armed with information packs offer patriotic volunteers an opportunity to join the war. As the country's efforts to conscript enough men to fight Russia are obstructed by public skepticism – defense officials are embarking on a serious charm offensive to recruit a citizens' army fit to fight the invasion. Oleksiy Bezhevets, is a ministry adviser who is overseeing the drive: "Nations form themselves in fire. Now there's fire, and the nation is forming. This mobilization is one of the elements, and one of the instruments that help a nation to form itself." This softer call-up is being conducted on job-search sites and outreach centers, as well as billboards and social media, and offers a wartime novelty: an element of choice. Recruits can choose their units and roles that suit their skills as well as how long they will serve. This recruit says she wants to serve as a paramedic. The drive is also taking place online, in a glossy campaign by the 93rd MechaniZed Brigade. Kyiv is desperate to replenish its depleted forces, which are now vastly outnumbered and outgunned by Russia – as the war drags on into its third grinding year. The initial patriotic flood of volunteers who flocked to the army following the invasion in February 2022 has dried up. But the government understands the conscription drive has created its own difficulties including thousands evading the draft and some fleeing abroad rather than risking the trenches. Bezhevets says thirteen of the new recruitment centers have opened since February, and the government plans to expand the number to 30 by the middle of the year. In March, Kyiv's top general said the military would need to mobilize fewer people than the initial target of up to 500,000, in part because of volunteers.